‘D—­nation!’ muttered Rowland, then recollecting himself, he continued: 

‘Well, Herbert, how many of our crew is there now about the palace?’

‘Not more than a dozen.’

‘There should be thirteen, I think,’ replied Rowland.

’And there probably would have been had not one of them had his brains knocked out this morning in a scuffle with one of your passengers.’

‘Which one of them was it who dared to strike one of us?’ asked Rowland.

’A devilish rum one, I can tell you, father.  If I mistake not, his name was Henry Huntington.’

‘Have you got him in custody?’

‘Ay, he is safely confined in the cavern.’

‘And I hope we shall have an opportunity to hang him,’ exclaimed Rowland.  ‘And Mary Hamilton, is she too, safe?’

‘She is, I believe, in the next room with Violette,’ answered Blackbeard.

‘Herbert, I have resolved that you shall marry that girl,’ said Rowland abruptly.

‘Hell and fury!’ exclaimed Blackbeard.  ’I did not expect that.  In your letter, written to me from London, you stated that I was to marry one of the two girls who were about to take passage with you in the Gladiator, so I concluded you meant the youngest, and I have made love to her accordingly.’

‘Good God, Herbert, she is your only sister!’

‘Then I have killed her!’

‘How?’ exclaimed Rowland.

‘I have murdered her,’ replied Blackbeard, who then related to his father the conversation that had passed between himself and Ellen, and its terrible result.

‘I little thought,’ said Rowland, as Blackbeard finished speaking, ’that I was training you up to outvie myself in villany.  Are you sure she is dead?’

‘I hope she is,’ replied Blackbeard, ironically.

‘Beware then!’ exclaimed Blackbeard; ’for if she has gone, if her pure spirit has departed, you shall soon follow her.’

’If I follow her I shall be sure of Heaven, then, which would by no means be the case if I followed you in your exit from the world,’ muttered Blackbeard.

‘Why, Herbert,’ exclaimed Rowland, ’you will soon arrive to be the very prince of bucaniers, if your career is not cut short by a—­’

‘Halter,’ interrupted Blackbeard.  ’Well, if it is, I shall not have to swing alone—­there is some consolation in that—­there is nothing like plenty of company, whichever road we may be travelling.’

‘Ha! ha! ha!’ laughed Rowland.  ’You’re a sad dog, Herbert, and well worthy the lineage from which you have descended.  Now you will go and order the men to get their arms in readiness for a desperate fight, and despatch two of them to the brig with orders for her crew to hasten to our assistance.’

‘But what shall be done with the passengers and crew of the Indiaman,’ asked Blackbeard.

‘There are none there of any great consequence to us,’ answered Rowland, ’and as there is no room for us to be cumbered with them here, we shall be obliged to let them run a chance of escape.  You can also tell Pepper to bring the prisoners now in the cavern immediately into my presence.’