Sir Henry Morgan, Buccaneer

l, summoned his attendants, and himself repaired to the seat of Government to ascertain why no further report had been received from his officers. Great was his astonishment when he found that

. It was known among the people of the place, however, that Lady Morgan had been seriously ill, so ill that she could not have been removed, and there were some who suspected that one of the bodies was hers and that the arch-fi

re closely interrogated, but they stoutly declared they did not know his whereabouts and had seen nothing of him. Later in the afternoon it was observed that Hornigold's pinnace was not in the harbor. Indeed, with cunning adroitness that master mariner himself called attention to the fact, cursing the while his old commander for his

condition to weigh anchor immediately; she would have to be re-supplied and the sick men in her crew replaced by drafts from the shore. Besides, in accordance with the invariable custom, the great majority of the men had been given shore leave for that afternoon and evening, and those few who were not on duty were carousing at the Blue Anchor Inn and similar taverns and would be utterly unable to wor

It had been decided after conference between the leaders that there was no place within the confines of Port Royal itself where so many men could meet without exciting suspicion. He had accordingly appointed a rendezvous for the night across the narrow entrance to the h

ince that worthy had gone buccaneering, and, except in the minds of his former companions and participants, much of the character of his exploits had passed ou

f his faculties or to become obstreperous. Just enough was given to make the timid bold, and the hardy reckless. They knew the value of, and on occasion could practise, abstinence, those old buccanee

themselves the luxury of vengeance upon their old commander. There were none, however, who had so dwelt upon it as the boatswain, nor were there any whose animosity and determination compared to his fierce hatred. He was therefore able, at last, to persuade them into a surly willingness to accept Morgan as their captain in this ne

hreateningly. If he betrayed them again, there were men among them who would kill him as remorselessly as they would stamp on a centipede. If he behaved himself and the expedition on which he was to

ich the old-time buccaneers had been made, but they were the best to be obtained at that time in Port Royal. Even they would not have been so easily assembled had they realized quite what was expected of them. They knew, of cou

f the leaders, had a character for daring wickedness that would stop at nothing. With much difficulty the boatswain had succeeded in obtaining five boats, each capable of carrying one band. Every o

oned on the extreme edge of the beach toward the channel rep

the lights of the town, he observed her. The boat was handled with consummate skill; she dropped anchor and hauled down her sails noiselessly just abreast the pier which had been appointed the rendezvous by the two men on the night before. As s

cried the v

boatswain in a low tone, a

sual, again putting his pistol back into his belt. "Seeing so ma

u, the Brazilian, and young

anish Main with a good ship, plenty of liquor beneath the hatches, brave hearts

ay,

nswered one

here to perfect their further plans. Indeed, they had no plans as yet. There was not head enough among them to concoct the details of the scheme, a

ered the captain. "Are

captain," replied Hornigold as

en have you

five

oa

iv

hey car

little c

ads eac

eau here, another; the Brazilian, the thi

re i

st of the me

e they al

a sword and a p

of the

ed Teach, recklessly

y fight,

e to fight; we'll make

know wh

but as cruel and ruthless a villain as any that ever cut a throat or scuttled a ship. "Ha

captain bending forward and staring at the Frenchman, hi

cap

n his heart that this man who boasted so should beg for his life at his hand, with all the beseeching pity of the ve

suspected

g. At first they thought one of them was yours, but they decided after a while that one was a woman, and they gu

did

es

posed the Brazilian chuckling maliciously. "Aye, sir,

of these men, and he did not know how far their cupidity or their desire to take up the old life o

said ye that?" he queri

ist and his fingers clos

deck than he. "I did it to divert their attention. You see, they fancied at first that we old sea-dogs might have something

it! I'd kill him if he sat on the steps of a throne. Easy there!" he called out to the oarsmen, assuming the command as by right, while the boat's keel grated on the shingle

oward the place of assemblage, under the trees. Morgan and the ma

y approached the men, "here's

in surprise and alarm. The man had been

s. You have heard tales of the jolly roving life of the brethren-of-the-coast. We'll do a little picking in the Caribbean, then over the Isthmus, and then down into the South Seas. There's wine and women and treasure to be had for the

ts of the crowd, and the rest, catching th

, "lest we be heard. Hor

nty,

a noble draught,

ldest recruits, who was not in the secret, "be

arbor," cried Morgan, "

ut wha

Put the boldest men in the stern sheets with yourselves, the rest at the oars, and do you have your weapons ready. The Mary Rose lies just within the bar. You, Velsers and Rock, gain the fo'c'sl from larboard and starboard. You, Teach and Raveneau, board at the different gangways. Horn

ll was ready. Finally Hornigold and then Morgan with the maroon stepped into the last b

ve o

, to open his mouth again as the boats slowly left the beach, rowing through the passage and

ried, "I want to know what

leader to back out of the enterprise, which, as it threatened to invol

answered Horn

ceasing to row. In an instant Morgan's pistol was out

ogs!" he cr

ed, although the others tr

l out the plug in this boat, and we'll all go to hell to

he man behind Sawkins, hitting him i

he King

s of her crew are drunk, t'other third are ashore or sick. They are unprepared, asleep. There'll be

the same. After rowing a short distance the flotilla separated. Those approaching from the farther side of the ship necessarily made a wide détour, for which the others waited, so they would all arrive si