109

XV. A Just Reward 119

XVI. A Pirate Potentate 132

XVII. How Morgan was helped by Some Religious People 145

XVIII. A Piratical Aftermath 153

XIX. A Tight Place for Morgan 159

XX. The Story of a High-Minded Pirate 171

XXI. Exit Buccaneer; Enter Pirate 192

XXII. The Great Blackbeard comes upon the Stage 200

XXIII. A True-Hearted Sailor draws his Sword 210

XXIV. A Greenhorn under the Black Flag 217

XXV. Bonnet again to the Front 224

XXVI. The Battle of the Sand Bars 233

XXVII. A Six Weeks' Pirate 243

XXVIII. The Story of Two Women Pirates 253

XXIX. A Pirate from Boyhood 263

XXX. A Pirate of the Gulf 277

XXXI. The Pirate of the Buried Treasure 291

XXXII. The Real Captain Kidd 309

[Illustration: The Haunts of "The Brethren of the Coast"]

Buccaneers and Pirates of Our Coasts

Chapter I

The Bold Buccaneers

When I was a boy I strongly desired to be a pirate, and the reason for
this was the absolute independence of that sort of life. Restrictions of
all sorts had become onerous to me, and in my reading of the adventures
of the bold sea-rovers of the main, I had unconsciously selected those
portions of a pirate's life which were attractive to me, and had totally
disregarded all the rest.

In fact, I had a great desire to become what might be called a marine
Robin Hood. I would take from the rich and give to the poor; I would run
my long, low, black craft by the side of the merchantman, and when I had
loaded my vessel with the rich stuffs and golden ingots which composed
her cargo, I would sail away to some poor village, and make its
inhabitants prosperous and happy for the rest of their lives by a
judicious distribution of my booty.

I would always be as free as a sea-bird. My men would be devoted to me,
and my word would be their law. I would decide for myself whether this
or that proceeding would be proper, generous, and worthy of my unlimited
power; when tired of sailing, I would retire to my island,--the position
of which,