Willmar tribune., 1904-08-17
oapyzisht. 1sm BY D. Appleton 4 Ca. x.v xoe,
ByaFRANK r. STOCKTON


{ Now then," he shouted, I'VE ar,
even, salute for salute. for my pistol,
are more than equal to the cannon o.
any other man. How goes it with you
Sir Nightcap-Bonnet, I mean?" Ant
with that he clasped the hand reached
out to him in bone-crushing grasp.
His fingers aching and his brain rs
tonished. Bonnet could not compre
hend what sort Of q man it was wht
stood before him. With hair purposel,
+. d1shevelled; with his hat more
slouched than usual; with his beart
divided into tails, each tied with 8
d1herent-colored ribbon; with half &
dozen pistols strung across his breast;
with other pistols and a knife or two
stuck into his belt: with his grea1
sword by his side, and his eyes CLEAN
Ing brighter than ever and a genera
expression, both in face and figure, o.
IN aggressive impudence, Blackboard
stood on his stout legs, clothed IL
rough red stockings, and gazed abou,
him. But the captain OF the Revenge
utd not forget his manners. He wei
% coined Blackboard with all courtesy
and besought him to enter his poo,
= cabin.
Blackboard laughed. Poor cabin
say you? But I'll tell you this one
thing, my valiant Captain Cap; you
nave not poor vessel, not poor YES
Gel, l swear that to you, my brave cap
tain. swear that!"
Then, with no attention to Bonnet's
Invitation, Capt. Blackboard strolled
about the deck. examining everything
cursing this and praising that, and fol-
lowed by Capt. Bonnet, Black Paul,
and crowd of admiring pirates
Ben Greenway bowed his head and
groaned. Il doubt if Master Bonnet
will ever go to the dell as I feared he
would, for now has the dell come to
him. Oh, Dickory, Dickory! this mas
ter O. mine was a worthy mon an a
good ane when I first came to him,
. an a that I hae owe to him, for I
was In sad case,- Dickory, very sad
case; but now that he has Apollyon for
his teacher, he'll cease to know right
e0usness ALTOGETHER"
Dickory was angry and out of spirits.
HE is vile poltroon, this master of
yours" said he, ''consorting with these
bloody pirates and leaving his daugh-
ter to pine away her days and nights
within a little sail OF him, while he
struts about at the heel of dirty free
booter dressed like q monkey! He
doesn't deserve the daughter he DOS
%ho/
that would take me back to Jamaica!
And would take you, too, Ben Green
way, fol, It is q foul shame that q good
man should spend his days in such vile
company"
Ben shook his head. "Ill stand by
Master Bonnet" he said, until the
day comes when shall bid him fare
we'll at the door O. hell. l can go no
farther than that, Dickory, no farther
than that"
The supper in the cabin of the Re-
venge was a better meal than the vo-
racious Blackboard had partaken of for
many a year, if indeed he had ever sat
down to such sumptuous repast. Be-
tore him was food and drink fit for a
stout and hungry sea-faring man, and
there were wines and dainties which
would have had fit place upon the table
Of a gentleman.
Blackboard was in high spirits and
tossed of cup after cup and glass after
glass of the choicest wine and the most
derry spirits. He clapped his well-man-
aered host upon the back as he shouted
fro of ryS1l
"And who is this?" he cried, as they
rose from the table and he first caught
sight of Ben Greenway. "Is this your
ehaplain? He looks as sanctimonious
as an empty rum cask. And that baby
boy there, what do you keep him for?
Are they for sale? would like to buy
the boy and let him keep my accounts.
[ warrant he has enough arithmetic to
divide the prize moneys among the
men,
He is no slave" said Bonnet: "he
same to this vessel to bring me a mes
sage from my daughter, but he is an
nl-bred stripping and can neither read
nor write" :, -
'Then let's kill him!" cried Black
beard, and, drawing his pistol, he sent
. bullet about two inches above Dick
ory's head.
At this the men, who had gathered
themselves at every available point,
set up cheer. Never before had they
beheld such magnificent and reckless
miscreant.
4 Dickory did not start or move, but
he turned very pale, and then he red
dened and his eyes flashed. Black
beard swore at him great approba-
tive oath. "A brave boy!" he cried,
"and fit to carry messages If for moth
Ing else.< And what is this nonsense
about q daughter?" said he to Bonnet.
''We abide no such creatures in the
ranks Of free companions; we drown
them like kittens before we hoist the
Jolly Roger .:Es:.->- .e...'.s. - -.
When Blackbeard's boat left the
ships side the departing ,chieftain
fred His pistols In the air as long as
their charges lasted, while the motley
desperadoes Of the Revenge gave him
many e parting yell. Then all the
boats Of the Revenge were lowered
and every man who could crowd into
them left their ship for the shore.
Black Paul tried to restrain them. for
10 feared to leave the Revenge too
weakly manned, she having such .
valuable cargo: but his orders and
shouts were of no avail and, despair
ing Of stopping them. the sailing
master went with them; and as they
pulled wildly towards tho town the
men of one boat shouted to another.