When these letters were finished Bonnet hurried to the side of the vessel and looked upon the deck of the Amanda.

Captain Marchand and Greenway had been waiting in anxious expectation for the return of Bonnet, and wondering how in the world a man could bring his mind to write letters at such a time as this.

“Take these letters, Ben,” he said, leaning over the rail, “and give them to Captain Marchand.”

Ben Greenway at first declined to take the letters which Bonnet held out to him, but the latter now threw them at his feet on the deck, and, running forward, he soon found himself in a violent and disorderly crowd, who did not seem to regard him at all; booty and drink were all they cared for.  Presently came Big Sam, giving orders and thrusting the men before him.  He had not been drinking, and was in full possession of his crafty senses.

“Throw off the grapnels,” exclaimed Big Sam, “and get up the foresel!” And then he perceived Bonnet.  With a scowl upon his face Big Sam muttered:  “I thought you were on the merchantman, but no matter.  Shove her off, I say, or I’ll break your heads.”

The grapnels were loosened; the few men who were on duty shoved desperately; the foresail went up, and the two vessels began to separate.  But they were not a foot apart when, with a great rush and scramble, Ben Greenway left the merchantman and tumbled himself on board the Revenge.

Bonnet rushed up to him.  “You scoundrel!  You rascal, Ben Greenway, what do you mean?  I intended you to go back to Bridgetown on that brig.  Can I never get rid of you?”

“No’ till ye give up piratin’,” said Ben with a grin.  “Ye may split open my head, an’ throw overboard my corpse, but my live body stays here as long as ye do.”

With a savage growl Bonnet turned away from his faithful adherent.  Things were getting very serious now 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.”