Morris tribune., 1905-11-25


in groups Of two or three the men
had gone across in boats after sunset,
successfully eluding observation, for
the night was moonless and very dark.
There was rum in plenty under the
trees on the point but care was taken
by Rock Braziliano, Raveneau and the
others, even including Velsers, that no
one should drink enough to lose entire
control of his faculties or to become OBJ
streperous No fires were lighted; no
smoking was permitted. Strict silence
was enjoined and enforced. 1t was per-
haps 10 o'clock before all were as
sembled
When morning had cleared their
brains of the rum they had taken, there
had been ferocious opposition on the
part of the older men. Not that they
objected to buccaneering. They were
eager for the chance once more. But
the memory Of Morgan's betrayals of
his old comrades ranked deep. There
were many besides Hornigold who had
promised themselves the luxury Of
vengeance upon their old commander.
There were none, however, who had so
dwelt upon it as the boatswain, nor
were there any whose animosity and
determination compared to his fierce
hatred. He was therefore able at last
to persuade them into surly willing
ness to accept Morgan as their captain
In this new enterprise. Indeed, with
out him they could do nothing, for
there was no one who possessed the
ability or experience to lead them save
he. The best men of the old stamp
were now in the south seas and far
away; they had been driven from the
Caribbean. 1t was not difficult for
Hornigold to show them that it must
be Morgan or no one.
Their feelings of animosity were,
perforce, sunk beneath the surface, al
though they smoldered still within
their breasts. They would go with
him, they said. But let him look to
himself, they swore threateningly. If
he betrayed them again there were
men among them who would kill him
as remorselessly as they would stamp
on centiped. If he behaved himself
and the expedition on which he was to
lead them proved successful they
might forgive him-all but old Horni-
gold. Truth to tell, there was no one
among them who felt himself so
wronged or so badly treated as the one
eyed envenomed sailor.
The bulk of the party, which num-
ony1,o h,1n
simply plain, ordinary thieves, cut
throats, broken down seamen, land
sharks and rascals. Not much was to
be expected Of them. They were not Of
the stuff of which the old time bucca-
neers had been made, but they were
the best to be obtained at that time in
Port Royal Even they would not have
been so easily assembled had they
realized quite what was expected Of
them. They knew, Of course, that they
were committing themselves to some
nefarious undertaking. but to each re.
cruit had been vouchsafed only enough
information to get him to come to the
no more.
BY Hornigold's orders they were told
off in five parties of about twenty
each, commanded respectively by him
self, Velsers, Raveneau, the Brazilian,
and the last by Teach, who, though
the youngest of the leaders, had char
acter for daring wickedness that would
stop at nothing. With much difficulty
the boatswain had succeeded in OBJ
tanning five boats, each capable of car
rying one band. Every one brought
his own arms, and in general these
men did not lack suficiency Of weap.
ons. Those who were deficient, how
ever, were supplied from a scanty |
stock which the leaders had managed |
to procure.
All was in readiness when one Of
the men who had been stationed on
the extreme edge Of the beach toward |
the channel reported the approach Of
small boat looking like the pinnace.
The wind, fortunately for the enter |
prise, happened to be blowing fresh |
out of the harbor, and it was necessary |
for the pinnace to beat up toward the |
entrance. She showed no lights, but |
as she tackled in close to the shore be- |
tween the watcher and the lights of the |
town he observed her. The boat was
handled with consummate skill She
dropped anchor and hauled down her
sails noiselessly just abreast the pier
which had been appointed the rem
devious by the two men on the night |
before. AS soon as Hornigold learned !
Of the approach he took small boat,
leaving Velsers in command of the I
band on shore, and repaired with the
other leaders to the wharf on the other
side. AS the boat approached the
wharf it was. hailed in a sharp whis-
per.
"Who comes7' cried the voice on
shore.
"Hornigold!" answered the boat
swain in a low tone as the boat swept
alongside.
$50 it's you, is it?' cried Morgan,
attended by the maroon, as usual,
again Duttinp his nistOI hack into his