ir eyes but the heat
of the cabin was excuse for this. Blackbeard studied them intently,
munching Brazil nuts and noisily sipping his wine.

"The _Plymouth Adventure_ stranded yester-eve?" said he. "Know ye the
lay of the coast where the wreck lies? What of the shipmaster and Ned
Rackham? Were they able to fix the shoal by reckoning?"

"No, sir," readily answered Joe Hawkridge. "'Twas strange land to all
hands."

From a chest Blackbeard hauled out a dog-eared chart of parchment and
unrolled it upon the table. The boys foresaw his intention and feared
the worst. Presently they heard him mumble to himself:

"A small wind setting from the west'ard,--twenty-four hours of drift
for the lads' raft,--a dozen leagues, I call it."

He looked up from the chart to ask:

"The wreck was lodged fast in smooth water and holding together?"

"Aye, but in peril of working off and sinking like an iron pot,"
answered Joe. "For this reason the people were in haste to quit her."

"Her own crew made for the beach, I have no doubt," shrewdly pursued
Blackbeard, "but my men 'ud stay by the wreck and watch the weather ere
they shoved off. Trust the food and drink and plunder to hold 'em."

He lumbered to the hatch and called up to the mate on watch. While they
conferred, Joe Hawkridge whispered to his perturbed companion:

"He will hunt for the wreck, Jack. But unless the wind changes, he can't
beat in to the coast with his fore-topmast gone."

"A merciful delay," muttered Jack. "I worry not so much for Captain
Wellsby and his people. They will hide themselves well inland when they
make out the _Revenge_, but what of you and me?"

"'Tis a vexing life we lead. I will say that much, Master Cockrell."

CHAPTER VII

THE MIST OF THE CHEROKEE SWAMP

THE dark cloud of anxiety was lightened a trifle by the fact that
Blackbeard displayed no ill temper toward the two young castaways.
Having obtained such information as they chose to offer, he roughly told
them to go forward and join the crew. Whether or no, Jack was impressed
as a pirate and it may have amused Blackbeard to recruit by force the
nephew of the honorable Secretary of the Provincial Council. For his
part, Jack was grateful to be regarded no longer as a hostage under
sentence of death. With Joe as an escort who knew the ropes, he went on
deck and was promptly kicked off the poop by the mate.

They first found food and quenched their raging thirst with water which
had