Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1904-07-13
of that, he paused for a moments 70.

l cannot bring myself to put to death
my old friend and neighbor and his
helpless passengers. AS for the ship,
it will do me no more good burned
than unburned. And there is another
thing, Ben Greenway, which l would
fain do, and it just came into my mind.
will write letter to my wife and one
to my daughter Kate. There is much
which l wish them to know and which
l have not yet been able to commune
cate. will allow the Amanda to go
on her way and will send these two
letters by her captain. They shall be
ready presently, and you, Ben, stand by
these people and see that no harm
comes to them"
shouts and laughter from below, and
Capt. Marchand came forward.
Friend Bonnet" he said, your men
have discovered my store of spirits; N
short time they will be drunk, and it
will then be unsafe for these, my pas
sengers. Bid them, pray you, to con-
vey thu liquors aboard your Ship
well said!" cried Bonnet. Il would
not lose those spirits" And, stepping
forward, he spoke to Big Sam, who
had just appeared on deck, and ordered
the casks to be conveyed on board the
Revenge.
The latter laughed, but said: "Ay,
ay, sir!"
Returning to Capt Marchand, Bon.
net said: Il will now step on board my
ship and write some letters, which l
shall ask you to take to Bridgetown
with you. shall be ready by the time
the rest of your cargo is removed"
The captain of the pirates sat down
in his well-furnished little room 10
write his letters, and the noise and
confusion on deck, the swearing and
the singing and the shouting to be
heard everywhere, did not seem to dis
turb him in the least. He was man
whose mind could thoroughly engage
itself with but one thing at time, and
the fact that his men were at work
sacking the mercha1tman did not in
the least divert his thoughts from his
pen and paper.
So he quietly wrote to his wife that
he had embraced pirates life, that he
never expected to become a planter
again, and that he left to her the en-
joyment and management of his estate
in Barbados. He hoped that, his alb
sence having now relieved her of her
principal reason for discomfort with
her lot, she would become happy and
satisfied, and would allow those about
her to be the same. He expected to
send Ben Greenway back to her to help
take care of her affairs, but if she
should need further advice he advised
her to speak to Master Newcombe.
The letter to his daughter was diff
ferent; it was very affectionate He
assured her of his sorrow at not being
able to take her with him and to leave
her at Jamaica, and he urged her at the
earliest possible moment to go to her
uncle and to remain there until she
heard from him or saw him-the latter
being probable, as he intended to visit
Jamaica as soon as he could, even IN
disguise if this method were necessary.
He alluded to the glorious career upon
which he was entering, and in which
he expected some day to make a great
name for himself, of which he hoped
she would be proud
When these letters were finished
Bonnet hurried to the side of the YES
sci and looked upon the deck of the
Amanda.
Capt. Marchand and Greenway had
been waiting in anxious expectation
for the return Of Bonnet, and wonder
ing how in the world a man could
bring his mind to write letters at such
a time as this.
Take these letters, Ben," he said,
leaning over the rail, land give them
to Capt. Marchand'
Ben Grenway at first declined to take
the letters which Bonnet held out to
him, but the latter now threw them at
his feet on the deck, and, running for
ward, he soon found himself in a vio-
lent and disorderly crowd, who did not
seem to regard him at all; booty and
drink were all they cared for. Pres
entity came Big Sam, giving orders
and thrusting the men before him. He
had not been drinking, and was in full
possession of his crafty senses.
Throw off the grapnels," exclaimed
Big Sam, land get up the foresel!"
And then he perceived Bonnet. With
scowl upon his face Big Sam NUT
tered: II thought you were on the
merchantmen, but no matter. Shove
her off, say, or I'll break your
heads"
The grapnels were loosened; the few
men who we're on duty showed desper-
ately; the foresail went up, and the
two vessels began to separate But
they were not foot apart when, with
a great rush and scramble, Ben Green
way left the merchantmen and tumbled
himself on board the Revenge
Bonnet rushed up to him. "You
scoundrel! You rascal, Ben Greenway,
what do you mean? I intended you to
go back to Bridgetown on that brig.
Can I never get rid of you?"
mo till We give up piratin'," said
Ben with grin. Eye may split open
my head, an throw overheard my
corpse, but my live body stays here as
long as We d."
With savage growl Bonnet turned
away from his faithful adherent.
Things were getting very serious now
and he could waste no time on person
al quarrels. Great holes and splits had
been discovered in the heads of the
barrels of spirits, and the precious IL
quor was running over the decks. This
was the work of the sagacious Big
Sam, who had the strongest desire to
get away from the Amanda before the
pirate crew became so drunk that they
h.