the plunder, then we’ll decide the fate of the ship yonder and also vote
a new leader in Black Satan’s place.”
“Faith, the sooner you serve me with sum,” said Doctor Syn, “the
sooner will I be pleased. When I have drunk, I am willing to fight my
way into your good graces. I will take on any challenger just to prove
my mettle. You do not know me, but I am hoping we may be better
acquainted either with this” (holding out his right hand, and then
putting his sword from his left into it, he added) “or this.” But first
a bottle of rum to get the stench of that damned shark out of my
innards.”
The quartermaster produced two bottles, one of which he handed to
Mipps and the other to Syn, saying, “You’ve earned your drink this
morning. But have a care. ‘Tis strong stuff for a parson.”
Syn laughed somewhat scornfully, drew the cork with his teeth, spat
the cork on the deck, and then tilted the raw spirit down his throat
till the bottle was empty. Mipps was still drinking his, but had only
got halfway when Syn took it from him in the most engaging manner and
finished it for him. This touch of comedy appealed to the pirates even
more than the tragic splendor of his fighting, and in a few minutes,
when the grog went round, the pirates were drinking to their new
brother’s health. Fortunately for Syn the crew was widely recruited from
many lands and languages, and when they found this uncanny stranger
could speak and joke with them each in his own tongue, their admiration
knew no bounds.
“I said we’d strut the poop-deck,” whispered Mipps, “and it looks as
though you’ll be made captain willy-nilly.”
And Mipps was in the right of it too, for after the Intention had
been abandoned and sunk, votes were taken for the post of command and it
was Mipps and Syn who carried it.
It was not till after sunset that Syn was able to take Mipps into his
confidence, for till that time they had not been alone. They now found
themselves in possession of the captain’s cabin under the poop. The
pirates had unanimously agreed that theirs should be a joint leadership,
Mipps maintaining his post as sailing-master and navigator, and Syn to
be in command of fighting tactics. In this capacity he quickly proved
himself a leader, for he called for a full inventory of arms abroad, and
was much surprised to learn that there was no such thing.
- 78 -
“Then the sooner I have it the better,” he had cried. “That Black
Satan of yours may have left all to chance, but if I’m to be of use to
you my way is different. How can I judge whether to risk your lives and
such booty as you already possess unless I know to a nicety what powder
and shot I have in the lockers? I suggest that you appoint for a Master
Armourer with sufficient men to help men, who shall be free from all
other duties. Not only will they keep our guns sweet and clean, but it
shall be their responsibility to keep a razor edge on all your
cutlasses. Each day you will choose two of your fellows to come with me
on my inspection, so that you will feel satisfied that all is being done
for your profit. If we are ready to fight upon an empty sea, we shall be
the better prepared when any sai l tops the horizon. We must school
ourselves to think that we are not here for the fun of the thing. Plenty
of time for fun when we go ashore and spend our money freely. But to get
sufficient money we must work. If I am to take a hand in leading you, it
shall be my object to stuff your belts with guineas and to keep your
bodies from the chains. I take it that none of you desire to hang, and
for myself, I don’t intend to, for ‘tis a most ungentlemanly end. To
avoid this, I tell you now there must be no foolishness. Certain risks I
am willing to take if I think the possible results are justifiable, in
which cases I shall be the first to board, and you will follow me. But I
reserve, for your sakes and mine won, the right to vote against a fight
if I consider th at the odds are too great against us. Let us not,
through an exaggerated conceit, fall foul of one ship when we might sink
six others through discretion. If, on the other hand, we find ourselves
out-gunned and out-maneuvered, and fight we must —well, then, we will,
and maybe get the victory. Who knows?”
Needless to say, Mipps had seen to it that Syn’s property had all
been returned. Shoes, coat, pistols and scabbard, and his seachest,
still unopened, stood beside one of the bunks.
Mipps, who preferred a hammock to a bunk, insisted upon slinging it
outside the cabin door.
“For,” said he, “pirates or no, and co-commanders as you might say, I
know my station. You was above me on the Marshes, and is so here. I’m
twice the man I was when I met you. I al ways knew I was born for
adventures, and you helped me to it with that loan. Without it the
Customs would have caught me. I’ve got it for you here, sir, and in
English money.”
Mipps produced a key tied with a piece of tatty string around his
neck and opened his seachest, upon which he had been sitting. From this
he took a canvas bag, in which his fingers fumbled for a time, at last
drawing out a small paper parcel, which he handed to his companion. Syn
looked at it and laughed, for on it as scrawled, “Mipps his debt to
Parson Syn.”
“You’ll find that all correct, sir,” said Mipps. “And it brought me
luck, that chance meeting with you.”
“So you thought this piracy business luck, eh?” laughed Syn. “Well,
perhaps you are right. If your life changed from that bright morning on
Lympne Hill, why, so did mine. But my change was for the worse. That
very morning started the blighting of my soul. That is why I journey to
America, and I’ll confess to you that as soon as we touch land I shall
put this ship behind me and set out on my life’s mission.”
“What, give up piracy and go on a preaching mission? Oh, I say!”
“No, on a killing mission,” corrected Syn. “I have journeyed to find
an enemy. There is man I have to kill. That is to be my great adventure.
I am sorry I shall have to leave you to this life. As to this money,
here it is. It was a gift, and I will not take it back.”
“And I can be obstinate, too,” grinned Mipps. “I never takes nothing
for nothing.”
- 79 -
“Then give me something in exchange,” replied Syn; “brass buttons; a
clasp knife—any trifle you can spare.”
“Very well, sir,” said Mipps seriously. “I’ll give you something in
exchange if you’ll accept it. And the value I put it at is just three
spades, two crowns, and a silver fourpen ny. And this thing is myself.
Just this Mister Mipps you see here in the cabin. Just a collection of
bone, flesh, blood and gristle, and my clothes thrown in. We are bound
for the slave country. A rough country, too, where a gentleman like
yourself needs a servant. No need to tell you I’ll be faithful. You know
that. Well, what do you say, sir? Have you bought me? ‘Cos if so I’ll
put this money back in my chest.”
“You mean you’ll give up piracy?” asked Syn.
“I mean that I am going to help you kill this man whoever he may be,”
replied the little man.
“I’ll tell you who he is, and now,” said Syn, and immediately
recounted the whole business of his marriage and betrayal.
At the end of the tragic recital Mipps drew his sheath-knife and