Part 19 (1/2)
Blackbeard made no answer; he stepped to the side of the vessel and looked over. ”Let go!” he shouted to the man who held the boat's rope, ”and you rascals row out a dozen strokes from my vessel and keep your boat there; and if you move an oar towards the town I will sink you!”
With that he ordered two small guns to be trained upon the boat.
The boat's crew did not hesitate one second in obeying these orders.
They knew by whom they were given, and there was no man in the great body of free companions who would disobey an order given by Blackbeard.
They rowed to the position a.s.signed them and sat quietly looking into the mouths of the two cannon which were pointed towards them.
”Now then,” said Blackbeard, turning to Bittern, ”I think they'll stay there till they get some other order.”
Between frequent sips at the cup of brandy Bittern told the story of the Revenge, and Blackbeard listened with many an oath and many a pound upon his ma.s.sive knee by his mighty fist.
”Oh, I have heard of him,” he cried, ”I have heard of him! He has played the devil along the Atlantic coast. He must he a great fellow this--what did you say his name was?”
”Bonnet,” said the other.
Blackbeard laughed. ”That suits him well; he must have clapped his name over the eyes of many a merchant captain! Where did he sail before he hoisted the Jolly Roger?”
At this Bittern laughed. ”He never sailed anywhere, he is no seaman; and if he were not rich enough to pay others to do his navigatin' for him he would have run his vessel upon the first sand-bar on his way from Bridgetown to the sea. But he pays some good mariner to sail his Revenge, and he now pays me. I am, in fact, the captain of his vessel.”
”You mean,” cried Blackbeard, ”that he knows nothing of navigation?”
”Not a whit,” replied the other; ”he doesn't know the backstays from the taffrail. It was only yesterday that he thought he was already in the port of Belize, and dressed himself up like a fighting-c.o.c.k to meet you.”
”To meet me?” roared Blackbeard; ”what does he want to meet me for, and why don't he come and do it instead of sending you?”
”Not he,” said Bittern. ”He is a great man, if not a sailor; he knows what is politeness on s.h.i.+pboard, and as he is the last comer you must be the first caller. He is all dressed up now, hoping that you will row over to the Revenge as soon as you know that he is its commander.”
The hairy pirate leaned back and laughed in loud explosions.
”He is a rare man, truly,” he exclaimed, ”this Captain Nightcap of yours--”
”Bonnet,” interrupted Bittern.
”Well, one is as good as the other,” cried Blackbeard, ”and he be well clothed if it be of the right colour. And you started out with him to sail his s.h.i.+p, you rascal? That's a piece of impudence almost as great as his own.”
Bittern did not much like this speech, and wanted to explain that since he had served under Blackbeard he had commanded vessels himself, but he restrained himself and told how Sam Loftus had been tumbled overboard for running afoul his captain, and how he had been appointed to his place.
Now Blackbeard laughed again, with a great pound upon his knee. ”He is a man after my own heart,” he shouted, ”be he sailor or no sailor, this nightcap commander of yours. I know I shall love him!” And springing to his feet and uttering a resounding oath, he swore that he would visit his new brother that afternoon.
”Now, away with you!” cried Blackbeard, ”and tell Sir Nightcap--”
”Bonnet,” interrupted Bittern.
”Well, Bonnet, or Cap, it matters not to me. Row straight back to your s.h.i.+p, and let him know that I shall be there and shall expect to be received with admiral's honours.”
Bittern looked somewhat embarra.s.sed. ”But, captain,” he said, ”my men are on their way to the town, and I fear me they will rebel if I tell them they cannot now go there.”
In saying this the sailing-master spoke not only for his men, but for himself. He was very anxious to go ash.o.r.e; he had business there; he wanted to see who were in the place, and what was going on before Bonnet should go to the town.