ng that they call the Jolly Roger.
There could be no doubt of that--no doubt whatever. I had heard of that
flag and read of it, and now I was looking at it with my own eyes; and a
light seemed to be let in upon my mind, and I trembled at the terror it
brought with it. That piece of handicraft meant murder; meant outrage;
meant violence of all kinds to those that were so dear to me--to those
who were all unconscious of their imminent doom. For I was as sure now
as if those three had told it to me with their own lips that I had come
upon a conspiracy.

The red-haired ruffian and the black-haired ruffian were in a tale
together; their purpose was to seize the poor Royal Christopher that
sailed on so gentle an errand and make her a pirate ship, with that
devil's ensign flying at her forepeak. My soul sickened in my body at
the thought of the women-kind at the mercy of these desperadoes. There
was one name ever in my heart, and as I thought of that name I shivered
as if the summer night had suddenly been frozen. I believe that if I had
had a brace of pistols with me I should have taken my chance of sending
those two villains out of the world with a bullet apiece, so clearly did
their malignity betray itself to my observation. But I was unarmed, and
even if I had been I might have missed my aim--though this I do not
think likely, in that narrow place, and with my determination steadying
my hand--and, moreover, I had no notion as to how many of the ship's
crew were sworn to share in the villainy. Besides, I have never killed a
man in cold blood in my life, and on that night so long ago I had never
lifted hand and weapon against any man, and had only once in my life
seen blood spilt murderously. But I stayed there, with my heart
drumming against my ribs and my breath coming in gasps that seemed to me
to shake the ship's bulk, staring hard at the two men and the woman with
her work.

She held out the banner at arm's length, and looked down at it lovingly,
as women are wont to look at any piece of needlework that they have
taken pains over with pleasure in the pains. I had seen women smile over
their work many and many a time--good women that have worked for their
kin, mothers that have laboured to fashion some bit of bodygear for a
cherished child--and I have always thought that the smile upon their
faces was very sweet to see. But in this case there was the same smile
upon the woman's face as she looked upon her unholy handiwo