who
had seized him by the arm when he was about to slay the naval officer.

"I would talk with you, captain," said the merchant, "on a matter of
immediate import." And he led the pirate away from the pretty girl.

The matter to be discussed was, indeed, of deep import.

"I am loath to say it, sir," said Mr. Delaplaine, "when I think of the
hospitality and most exceptional kindness with which you have treated me
and my niece, and for which we shall feel grateful all our lives, but I
think you will agree with me that it would be useless for us to pursue
the search after that most reprehensible person, my brother-in-law,
Bonnet. There can be no doubt, I believe, that he and Blackbeard have
left the vicinity of Charles Town, and have gone, we know not where."

"No doubt of that, bedad," said Ichabod, knitting his brows as he
spoke; "if Blackbeard had been outside the harbour, this brig would not
have been here."

"And, therefore, sir," continued Mr. Delaplaine, "I have judged it to be
wise, and indeed necessary, for us to part company with you, sir, and to
take passage on this brig, which, by a most fortunate chance, is bound
for Kingston. My niece, I know, will be greatly disappointed by this
course of events, but we have no choice but to fall in with them."

"I don't like to agree with you," said the captain, "but, bedad, I am
bound to do it. I am disappointed myself, sir, but I have been
disappointed so often that I suppose I ought to be used to it. If I had
caught up with Blackbeard I should have been all right, and after I had
settled your affairs--and I know I could have done that--I think I would
have joined him. But all I can do now is to hammer along at the
business, take prizes in the usual way, and wait for Blackbeard to come
south again, and then I'll either sell out or join him."

"It is a great pity, sir," said Mr. Delaplaine, "a great pity--"

"Yes, it is," interrupted Ichabod, "it's a very great pity, sir, a very
great pity. If I had known more about ships when I bought the Restless I
would have had a faster craft, and by this time I might have been a man
of comfortable means. But that sloop over there, bedad, is so slow,
that many a time, sir, I have seen a fat merchantman sail away from her
and leave us, in spite of our guns, cursing and swearing, miles behind.
I am sorry to have you leave me, sir, and with your ladies; but, as you
say, here's your chance to get home, and I don't know when I could