to
come on. It was the silliest exhibition; and yet dangerous too, for the
cowardly fellow was plainly working himself up to another murder.

All of a sudden Ballantrae stepped forth. "Have done with this
play-acting," says he. "Do you think to frighten us with making faces?
We saw nothing of you yesterday, when you were wanted; and we did well
without you, let me tell you that."

There was a murmur and a movement in the crew, of pleasure and alarm, I
thought, in nearly equal parts. As for Teach, he gave a barbarous howl,
and swung his dirk to fling it, an art in which (like many seamen) he
was very expert.

"Knock that out of his hand!" says Ballantrae, so sudden and sharp that
my arm obeyed him before my mind had understood.

Teach stood like one stupid, never thinking on his pistols.

"Go down to your cabin," cries Ballantrae, "and come on deck again when
you are sober. Do you think we are going to hang for you, you
black-faced, half-witted, drunken brute and butcher? Go down!" And he
stamped his foot at him with such a sudden smartness that Teach fairly
ran for it to the companion.

"And now, mates," says Ballantrae, "a word with you. I don't know if you
are gentlemen of fortune for the fun of the thing, but I am not. I want
to make money, and get ashore again, and spend it like a man. And on one
thing my mind is made up: I will not hang if I can help it. Come, give
me a hint; I'm only a beginner! Is there no way to get a little
discipline and common sense about this business?"

One of the men spoke up: he said by rights they should have a
quartermaster; and no sooner was the word out of his mouth than they
were all of that opinion. The thing went by acclamation; Ballantrae was
made quartermaster, the rum was put in his charge, laws were passed in
imitation of those of a pirate by the name of Roberts, and the last
proposal was to make an end of Teach. But Ballantrae was afraid of a
more efficient captain, who might be a counter-weight to himself, and he
opposed this stoutly. Teach, he said, was good enough to board ships and
frighten fools with his blacked face and swearing; we could scarce get a
better man than Teach for that; and besides, as the man was now
disconsidered, and as good as deposed, we might reduce his proportion of
the plunder. This carried it; Teach's share was cut down to a mere
derision, being actually less than mine; and there remained only two
points: whether he would consent, and who w