arter-deck was John Quelch who had planned and led
the mutiny. Instead of turning to the northward, the bow of the
_Charles_ was pointed for the South Atlantic and the track of the
Spanish trade where there was rich pirating. Somewhere in the Gulf
Stream, poor Captain Plowman was dragged on deck and tossed overboard
by order of Quelch.

A flag was then hoisted, called "Old Roger," described as having "in
the middle of it an Anatomy (skeleton) with an Hourglass in one hand,
and a dart in the Heart with 3 drops of Blood proceeding from it in the
other." When the coast of Brazil was reached, Quelch and his men drove
a thriving trade. Between November 15, 1703, and February 17, 1704,
they boarded and took nine vessels, of which five were brigantines, and
one a large ship carrying twelve guns. All these craft flew the
Portugese flag, and Portugal was an ally of England by virtue of a
treaty which had been signed at Lisbon on May 16, 1703. What became of
the crews of these hapless vessels was not revealed, but the plunder
included salt, sugar, rum, beer, rice, flour, cloth, silk, one hundred
weight of gold dust, gold and silver coin to the value of a thousand
pounds, two negro boys, great guns, small arms, ammunition, sails, and
cordage. One of the largest of the brigantines was kept to serve as a
tender.

Two weeks after the _Charles_ had taken French leave from Marblehead,
her owners, surmising that she had been headed toward the West Indies,
persuaded Governor Dudley to take action, and letters were sent to
officials in various islands instructing them to be on the look-out for
the runaway privateer and to seize her crew as pirates. Quelch was a
wily rogue, however, and kept clear of all pursuit, nor was anything
more heard of the _Charles_ until with extraordinary audacity he came
sailing back to New England in the following May and dropped anchor off
Marblehead. His men quickly scattered alongshore, and gave out the
story which he had cooked up for them, that Captain Plowman had died of
his illness while at sea, that Quelch had been obliged to take command,
and that they had recovered a great deal of treasure from the wreck of
a Spanish galleon.

The yarn was fishy, the men talked too much in their cups, and the
owners of the _Charles_ were not satisfied with Quelch's glib
explanation. They laid information against him in writing, and the
vessel was searched, the plunder indicating that the lawless crew had