a moment later by Paradise. "I never
thought to die in my bed, captain," said the latter nonchalantly.
"Sooner or later, what does it matter? And you must know that before
I was a pirate I was a gentleman." Turning, he doffed his hat with a
flourish to those he had quitted. "Hell litter!" he cried. "I have run
with you long enough. Now I have a mind to die an honest man."

At this defection a dead hush of amazement fell upon that crew. One and
all they stared at the man in black and silver, moistening their lips,
but saying no word. We were five armed and desperate men; they were
fourscore. We might send many to death before us, but at the last we
ourselves must die,--we and those aboard the helpless ship.

In the moment's respite I bowed my head and whispered to the King's
ward.

"I had rather it were your sword," she answered in a low voice, in which
there was neither dread nor sorrow. "You must not let it grieve you;
it will be added to your good deeds. And it is I that should ask your
forgiveness, not you mine."

Though there was scant time for such dalliance, I bent my knee and
rested my forehead upon her hand. As I rose, the minister's hand touched
my shoulder and the voice spoke in my ear. "There is another way," he
said. "There is God's death, and not man's. Look and see what I mean."

I followed the pointing of his eyes, and saw how close we were to those
white and tumbling waters, the danger signal, the rattle of the hidden
snake. The eyes of the pirate at the helm, too, were upon them; his
brows were drawn downward, his lips pressed together, the whole man bent
upon the ship's safe passage.... The low thunder of the surf, the cry of
a wheeling sea bird, the gleaming lonely shore, the cloudless sky, the
ocean, and the white sand far, far below, where one might sleep well,
sleep well, with other valiant dead, long drowned, long changed. "Of
their bones are coral made."

The storm broke with fury and outcries, and a blue radiance of drawn
steel. A pistol ball sang past my ear.

"Don't shoot!" roared the gravedigger to the man who had fired the shot.
"Don't cut them down! Take them and thrust them under hatches until
we've time to give them a slow death! And hands off the woman until
we've time to draw lots!"

He and the Spaniard led the rush. I turned my head and nodded to
Sparrow, then faced them again. "Then may the Lord have mercy upon your
souls!" I said.

As I spoke the minister sprang upon the h