s from the boat were called into the cabin. Joe Hawkridge knew
them as fellows loyal to Blackbeard through thick and thin. Drunken
beasts, as a rule, they were cold sober to-night.

As quietly as they had come, the whole party dropped into the boat and
returned either to the beach or to the sloop which rode at anchor two
cable-lengths away. The _Revenge_ floated with no more activity on her
darkened decks. The few men of the watch drowsed at their stations or
wistfully gazed at the fires ashore and the mob of pirates who moved in
the red glare. Jack Cockrell and Joe Hawkridge felt no desire for sleep.
As the ship swung with the turn of the tide, they went to the side and
leaned on the tall bulwark where they might catch the first glimpse of
the shore with the break of day.

Meanwhile they busied themselves with this wild scheme and that. Sifting
them out, it was resolved to swim from the ship at the first
opportunity. If they could not find the Indian pirogue, Joe would try to
get into the pirates' camp by night and possess himself of an axe, an
adze, a musket or two, and such food as he could smuggle out. Then, at a
pinch, they could hide themselves a little way inland and hew out a
pirogue of their own from a dry log. After hitting upon this plan, the
better it seemed the more they thrashed it over.

Unluckily it occurred to them so late in the night that they feared to
attempt it then lest the dawn might overtake them while they were
swimming. 'Twas a great pity, said Joe, that their wits had hung fire,
like a damp flint-lock, for this was the night when the pirates would be
the most slack and befuddled and it would be precious hard waiting
through another day. Jack glumly agreed with this point of view.

It was so near morning, however, that they lingered to scan the shore.
Then it was observed that a pearly mist was rising from the swamp lands
and spreading out over the water. It was almost like a fog which the
morning breeze would dispel after a while. Rolling like smoke it hung so
low that the topmast of the sloop rose above it although her hull was
like the gray ghost of a vessel.

"No sign of wind as yet," said Joe, holding up a wetted finger, "and
that red sunset bespoke a calm, hot day. This odd smother o' mist may
stay a couple of hours. Will ye venture it with me, Jack?"

"Gladly! Over we go, before the watch is flogged awake by the bos'n's
mate."

They crept aft to the high stern and paid out a coil