Mrs. Grundy. (Tracy City, Tenn.) 1903-1930, 1904-05-26
CHATTER XVII.
II HAVE NO ri hit; I AM A PIRATE
g. Z, y, sE 4
eskAN., ~ NY
Continued from last week.

S. q 80
,S,sS2'2SSfN S 5as been made plain,
JMf--xsSN Capt Bonnet, of the Re
venge, was punctilious
man when the rules of society were
concerned, be thct society official,
heightened or piratical. Thus 1t was
e positive duty. in his mind, to re4
turn Blackbeard's visit on the next
day, but until afternoon he was not
able to do so on account of the diff
Guilty of getting a sober and decently
behaved boats crew who should row
him over.
Black Paul, the sailing master, had
returned to his vessel early in the
morning. feeling the necessity of keep
ng watch over the cargo but most Of
he men came over much later, while
some of them did not come at all.
Bonnet was greatly inclined to pun
ish with an unwonted severity this
hrcaCh OF rules, but Black Paul assured
him that It was always the custom for
the crew of a newly arrived vessel to
70 ashore and have a good time, and
that IL they were denied this privilege
they would be sure to mutiny. and he
might be left without any crew at all.
Bonnet grumblCd and swore but, as
he was aware there were several
things concerning nautical life with
hich e ~Nr not familiar, Re deter
med to lc PISS this trespass.
DRESSED his finest clothes, and
ven be or han the day before, he
as follo C., into the boat by Ben
Greenway who vowed his captain
should ney~r travel without his chap
lain, who, II his words were consid-
ered woul3 be the most valuable Of
ilCer on the vessel.
Come, t&lN, Groonway," said Bon
net; you have troubled me so much
on my owr vessel that now, perchance,
you may be able to do me some service
on that o. another Anyway, | should
like to haze OF least one decent person
in my train, who, an you come not,
will be wholly missing. And Dickory
may come, too, If he like it."
But pichory did not like It, He
hated the big black pirate, and cared
not if he should never see him again,
SO he stayed behind,
When Bonnet mounted to the deck
of BlacAbeard's vessel he found there
| q very different pirate captain from
the one who had called upon him the
day before. There were no tails to
the great black beard, there were few
pistols visible, and Capt Bonnet's host
received him with certain salt
soaked, sun-browned, hairy and
brawny hospitality which did not SIT
badly upon him. There was meat,
there was drink, and then the two
captains and Greenway walked grave
ly over the vessel, followed by hun
bred eyes, and before long by many
coarse and ieering laugh which Bon
net supposed were directed at sturdy
Ben Greenway, deeming it quite nat
ural, though improper, that the de-
rision of these rough fellows should
be excited by the appearance among
hem OF a prim and sedate Scotch
Presbyterian.
But that crew of miscreants had all
heard of the derisive title which had
been given to Bonnet and now they
saw without the slightest difficulty
low little he knew of the various
nautical points to which Blackboard
continually called his attention.
The vessel was dirty, 1t was Ill
appointed there was an air Of reck-
less disorder which showed itself
everywhere; but, apart from his evil
dent distaste for dirt and griminess.
| the captain of the Revenge seemed
to be very well satisfied with every
| thing he saw. When he passed small
| gun pointed across the deck, and with
a nightcap hung upon a capstan bar
thrust into its muzzle, there was such
great laugh that Bonnet looked
around to see what the imprudent
Greenway might be doing,
Many were the nautical points to
which Blackboard called his guests
attention and many the questions the
! grim pirate asked, but in almost all
cases of the kind the tall gentleman
with the cooked hat replied that he
generally left those things to his sail
| ing-master, being so much occupied
with matters of more import.
When they had finished the tour OF
the vessel Blackboard conducted his
guest to his own cabin and invited him
to be seated by little table. Bon
net sat down, placing his high-plumed
cooked hat upon the bench beside him.
He did not want anything more to eat
or to drink and he was, in fact, quite
ready to take his leave. The vessel
had not pleased him and had given
him an idea of the true pirates life
which he had never had before.
Blackboard seated himself on the
other side of the table, on which he
rested his massive arms. Behind him
Ben Greenway stoou in the door way
For a few moments Blackboard sal
and gazed at Bonnet, and then he said:
Look we, Stede Bonnet, do you know
you are now as much out Of place
as a red herring would he at the teI
of the mainmastf
Bonnet flushed, II fear, Capt
I1Blackbeard he said II very much
fear me that you are right this is NJ
place for me. have paid my respects
to YOU, and now, if you please, will
take my leave | have not been graft
fed by the conduct of your crew, bu
did not expect that their captain
would address me in such diseourteou
words And with this he reached on
his hand for his hat.
Blackboard brought down his han,
heavily upon the table.
"Sit where you are!" exclaimed
"I have that To saw to Won which yOl