Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1889-12-20

while the skipper and all the rest were cast
into the sea by the method of walking the
plank 1t was the first time had seen this
done; my heart died within me at the spec
tacle; and Master Teach or one of his AGO.
lytes for my head WINS too much lost to be
precse remarked upon my pale face in very
alarming manner had tho strength to cut
step or two of a jig and cry out some
ribaldry, which saved me for that time: but
my legs were like water when l must get
down into the skiT among these miscreants
and what with my horror of my company
and fear Of the monstrous pillows, it was all
/ could do to keep an Irish tongue and break
n Jest or two as we were pulled aboard By
the blessing of God, there was fiddle in the
pirate ship, which had-no sooner seen than
/ fell upon; and in my quality of crowder
had the heavenly good luck to get in favor in
their eyes Crowding Pat was the name
they dubbed me with, and it was little l
cared for q name so long as my skin was
whole
What kind Of pandemonum that vessel
was I cannot describe, but she was com
manded by lunatic, and might be called a
floating Bedlam. Drinking, roaring, singing,
quarreling, dancing, they were never all so
Der at one time; and there were days together
when, If squall had supervened, it must
have sent US to the bottom, or if kings
ship had come along, it would have found US
quite helpless for defense. Once or twice we
sighted a sail, and, If we were sober enough,
overhauled it, God forgive u.s. and if we
were all too drunk, she got away, and |
would bless the saints under my breath
Teach ruled, if you can call that rule which
brought no order, by the terror he created;
and l observed the man was very vain of his
position. | have known marshals of France,
ay and even Highland chieftains that were
less openly pulled up which throws a singu-
lar light on the pursuit of honor and glory.
Indeed the longer we live, the more we per-
ceive the sagacity of Aristotle and the other
old philosophers; and, though l have all my
life been eager for legitimate distinctions, l
can lay my hand upon my heart at the end
of my career, and declare there is not one
no, nor vet life itself-whch is worth acquir-
ing or preserving at the slightest cost of
dignity.
1t was long before l got private speech of
Ballantrae; but at length one night we crept
out upon the boltsprit, when the rest were
better employed, and commiserated our po-
siton
None can deliver us but the saints" said I.
MY mind is very different" said Ballan-
trae; "for | am going to deliver myself. This
Teach is the poorest creature possible; we
make no profit of him and lie continually
open to capture and" says he, Il am not go
ing to be Il tarry pirate for nothing, nor yet
to hang in chains if / can help it," And he
told me what was in his mind to better the
state of the ship in the way Of discipline,
which would give us safety for the present,
aud sooner hope of deliverance when they
should have gained enough and should break
up their company.
confessed to himingenuously that my nerve
was quite shook among these horrible sur
roundings, and burst scarce tell him to count
upon me.
Il am not very easy frightened" said he
NOR very easy beat"
A few DAYS after there befell an accident
which had nearly hanged us all, and offers
the most extraordinary picture Of the folly
that ruled in our concerns. We were all
pretty drunk, and some bedamite spying a
sail, Teach put the ship about in chase with
out a glance, and we began to hustle up the
arms and boast Of the horrors that should
! follow. | observed Ballantrae stood quiet in
the bows, looking under the shade of his
hand but for my part, true to my policy
among these savages, was at work with the
lelsiest, and passing Irish jests for their diver
SION
Run up the colors," cries Teach. "Show
the $ the jolly Rogerl"
1t was the merest drunken braggadocio at
such stage, ana might have lost us a valu-
able prize; but thought il no part of mine
to reason, and ran up the black flag with
my own hand.
Ballantrae steps presently aft with smile
upon his face.
You may perhaps like to know, you
drunken dog, says he, that you are chasing
kings ship"
| Teach roared him the lie; but he ran at
| the same time to the bulwarks, and SO did
! they all. l have never seen so many drunken
men struck suddenly sober. The cruiser had
| gone about upon our impudent display of
| coors; she just Shen filling on the new
| tack; her ensign blew out quite plain to see,
and even as we stared, there came puff of
smoke, and then a report, and a shot plunged
in the waves q good way short of u.s. Some
ran to the ropes and got the Sarah" round
with an incredible swiftness One fellow
fell on the rum barrel which stood preached
upon the deck and rolled it promptly over
| board. On my part, made for the jolly
! Roger struck it, tossed it in the sea, and
could have flung myself after, so vexed was
| with our acknowledgements. AS for Teach,
he grew as pale as death, and incontnently
went down to his cabin. Only twice he
cane on deck that afternoon; went to the
taiirail; took Il long look at the kings slip,
which WAS still on the horizon heading after
us; and then without speech, back to his
cabin. You may say he deserted us; and if
it had not been for one very capable sailor
we had on board, and for the lightness Of
the airs that blew all day, we must certainly
have gone to the yard arm.
1t is to be supposed Teach was Inundated,
and, perhaps, alarmed for his position with
the crew; and the way in which he set about
regaining what he had lost was highly char
acteristic of the man. Early next day we
smeled him burning sulphur in his cabin
and crying out of "Hell, hell!n which was
well understood among the crew, and filed
their minds with apprehension. Presently
he comes on deck, perfect figure of fun, his
face blackened, his hair and whiskers curled,
his belt stuck full Of pistols, chewing bits of
glass 80 that the blood ran down his chin, and
brandishing dirk. | do not know if he had
taken these manners from the Indians OF
America, where he was a native; but such
was his way, and he would always thus an
nounce that he was wound up to horrid