nder, dainty-seeming, fiendly-smiling gentleman, very nice as to
speech and deportment and clad in the latest mode, from curling periwig
to jewelled shoe-buckles.

"'Captain Penfeather,' says he, 'Your most dutiful, humble--ha, let me
parish but here is curst reek o' tar!' with which, Martin, he claps a
jewelled pomander to the delicate nose of him. 'You've heard of me, I
think, Captain,' says he, 'and of my ship, yonder, the "Ladies'
Delight?"' I told him I had, Martin, bluntly and to the point, whereat
he laughs and bows and forthwith proffers to aid us against Santa
Catalina, the which I refused forthwith. But my council of captains,
seeing his ship was larger than any we possessed and exceeding well
armed and manned, overruled me, and the end of it was we sailed, six
ships of the Brotherhood and this accursed pirate.

"Well, Martin, Santa Catalina fell according to my plans, and the
Governor and Council agreeing to pay ransom, I drew off my companies,
and camped outside the walls of the town till they should collect the
money. Now the women of this place were exceeding comely, Martin, in
especial the Governor's lady, and upon the second night was sudden
outcry and uproar within the city, whereupon I marched into the place
forthwith and found this curst Bartlemy and his rogues, grown
impatient, were at their devil's work. Hastening to the Governor's
house I found it gutted and him dragged from his bed and with the life
gashed out of him--aye, Martin, torn body and throat, d'ye see, as by
the fangs of some great beast! That was the first time I saw what a
steel hook may do! As for this poor gentleman's lady, she was gone.
Hereupon, we o' the Brotherhood fell upon these pirate rogues and
fought them by light o' the blazing houses (for they had fired the
city), and I, thus espying the devil Bartlemy, met him point to point.
He was very full o' rapier tricks, but so was I, Martin (also I was
younger), and winged him sore and had surely ended him, but that
Tressady and divers others got him away, and what with the dark night
and the woods that lie shorewards he, together with some few of his
crew, got them back aboard his ship, the "Ladies' Delight," and so
away; but twelve of his rogues we took (beyond divers we slew in fight)
and those twelve I saw hanged that same hour. A week later we sailed
for Tortuga with no less than ninety and one thousand pieces of eight
for our labour, but I and those with me never had