first lieutenant showed himself upon the quarter-deck there
was a general howl from the crew, and peal after peal of derisive
laughter rent the air.

Then Blackbeard stepped quietly forward and ordered eight of the jeerers
to be strung up and flogged.

"I would like you all to remember," said the master pirate, "that when I
appoint an officer on this ship, there is to be no sneering at him nor
any want of respect, and it strikes me that I shall not have to say
anything more on the subject--to this precious crew, at any rate."

The next day lively times began on board the two rich prizes which the
pirate Blackbeard had lately taken. There had been scarcely more hard
work and excitement, cursing and swearing when the rich freight had been
taken from the merchantmen which had originally carried it. Poor
Bonnet's pen worked hard at lists and calculations, for Blackbeard was a
practical man, and not disposed to loose and liberal dealings with
either his men or the tradefolk ashore.

At times the troubled and harassed mind of the former captain of the
Revenge would have given way under the strain had not Ben Greenway
stayed bravely by him; who, although a slow accountant, was sure, and a
great help to one who, in these times of hurry and flurry, was extremely
rapid and equally uncertain. Blackbeard was everywhere, anxious to
complete the unloading and disposal of his goods before the weather
changed; but, wherever he went, he remembered that upon the quarter-deck
of his fine new ship, the Revenge, there was one who, knowing nothing of
nautical matters, was above all suspicion of nautical interferences, and
who, although having no authority, represented the most powerful
nautical commander in all those seas.

CHAPTER XX

ONE NORTH, ONE SOUTH

If our dear Kate Bonnet had really imagined, in her inexperienced mind,
that it would be a matter of days, and perhaps weeks, to procure a
vessel in which she, with her uncle and good Dame Charter, could sail
forth to save her father, she was wonderfully mistaken. Not a
free-footed vessel of any class came into the harbour of Kingston.
Sloops and barks and ships in general arrived and departed, but they
were all bound by one contract or another, and were not free to sail
away, here and there, for a short time or a long time, at the word of a
maiden's will.

Mr. Delaplaine was a rich man, but he was a prudent one, and he had not
the money to waste in wild rewards, even if