ow and he could waste no time on
personal quarrels. Great holes and splits had been discovered in the
heads of the barrels of spirits, and the precious liquor was running
over the decks. This was the work of the sagacious Big Sam, who had the
strongest desire to get away from the Amanda before the pirate crew
became so drunk that they could not manage the vessel. He was a deep
man, that Big Sam, and at this moment, although he said nothing about
it, he considered himself the captain of the pirate ship which he
sailed.

For a time Bonnet hurried about, not knowing what to do. Some of the men
were quarrelling about the booty; others trying to catch the rum as it
flowed from the barrels; others howling out of pure devilishness, and no
one paying him any respect whatever. Big Sam was giving orders; a few
sober men were obeying him, and Captain Stede Bonnet, with his faithful
servant, Ben Greenway, seemed to be entirely out of place amid this
horrible tumult.

"I told ye," said Ben, "ye had better stayed on board that merchantman
an' gone back like a Christian to your ain hame an' family. It will be
no safe place for ye, or for me neither, when that black-hearted
scoundrel o' a Big Sam gets time to attend to ye."

"Black-hearted?" inquired Bonnet, but without any surprise in his voice.

"Ay," said Ben, "if there's onything blacker than his heart, only Satan
himsel' ever looked at it. It was to be sailin' this ship on his own
account that he's had in his villainous soul ever since he came on
board; an' I can tell ye, Master Bonnet, that it won't be long now
before he's doin' it. I had me eye on him when he was on board the
Amanda, an' I saw that the scoundrel was goin' to separate the ships."

"That was my will," said Bonnet, "although I did not order it."

Ben gave a little grunt. "Ay," said he, "hopin' to leave me behind just
as he was hopin' to leave ye behind. But neither o' ye got your wills,
an' it'll be the de'il that'll have a hand in the next leavin' behind
that's likely to be done."

Bonnet made no reply to these remarks, having suddenly spied Black Paul.

"Look here," said he, stepping up to that sombre-hued personage, "can
you sail a ship?"

The other looked at Bonnet in astonishment. "I should say so," said he.
"I have commanded vessels before now."

"Here then," said Bonnet, "I want a sailing-master. I am not satisfied
with this Big Sam. I am no navigator myself, but I want a better man
than that fel