Bill Sturdy paused to take a whiff at his pipe, and then resumed his story, in which Charlie manifested no slight interest.

"I was taken all aback," he continued, "when I found it was the Sally Ann I was expected to join hands with the pirates against. I couldn't help thinking of the many pleasant hours I had spent on board that[187] vessel, chatting and spinning yarns with the crew. What to do I didn't know.

"The pirates were already clearing for action, and all seemed as busy as bees. You ought to have seen the eager look there was on their villainous faces, as they watched the Sally Ann, just, for all the world, like a crafty spider, lying in wait for a fat fly.

"Just then the captain came up to where I was standing, and fixed his sharp glance on me. 'Now, my man,' said he, 'here's a chance for you to distinguish yourself. That vessel will no doubt prove a rich prize. Do your duty, like a man, in the coming engagement, and you shall have a good share of the spoils. If you don't, or if you prove false to us, you know your fate.'

"He pointed up to the yard-arm, as much as to say that I should be strung up, if I refused obedience, and I've no doubt he would have kept his word.

"I just answered, 'Aye, aye, sir,' without looking particularly concerned.

"'What will you do to the crew when the ship has fallen into your hands?' I asked.

[188]

"'Send them to Davy Jones's locker,' he said, with no more compunction than if he were speaking of a litter of kittens.

"Well, I felt as if I was in a pretty tight place; some like a man I've heard of somewhere, who was being chased by a buffalo across a large field. At last he came to a precipice a hundred feet high. Of course, it would be death for him to jump off, and it would be just as much death for him to stay where he was. So he just waited till the old buffalo was close to him, and then he dodged out of the way, and the buffalo, who was going at full speed, leaped over the precipice, and was dashed to pieces. Well, I thought whether I couldn't do something of that kind. I knew that, if I shouldn't fight, the pirates would be as good as their word, and kill me, and if I did, I should be guilty of piracy, and be liable to be hung as a pirate, if ever I got caught."

"That was a pretty hard choice," said Charlie.

"So it seemed to me," said Bill. "The only thing I thought of that would do me[189] any good, was to turn upon the pirates some way. If I could only have jumped into the water, unobserved, and swam to the other ship, I would have fought to the last, in their defence."

"Why didn't you do it?"

"Well, my lad, there were two objections. In the first place, the pirates would have seen what I was at, and fired at me in the water. In the second place, the sailors on board the Sally Ann, thinking that I was a pirate, would have suspected I was up to some mischief, and so, most likely, they would have blazed away at me, too. So, between the two fires, I shouldn't have stood a very good chance."

"I don't know but you are right."

"No, my lad, it didn't take me very long to decide that there was nothing to be gained in this way. At that moment, I chanced to go down below for something, when my eye rested on—what do you think?"

"What was it?"

"It was a keg of powder," said Bill, shaking the ashes from his pipe. "Perhaps, my[190] lad, you can guess what thought that put me up to."

"Was it to blow them all up?" asked Charlie, in excitement.

"You've hit it, my lad."

"But that wo............