his position with the crew; and the way in which he set about

regaining what he had lost, was highly characteristic of the man.

Early next day we smelled him burning sulphur in his cabin and

crying out of "Hell, hell!" which was well understood among the

crew, and filled their minds with apprehension. Presently he comes

on deck, a perfect figure of fun, his face blacked, his hair and

whiskers curled, his belt stuck full of pistols; chewing bits of

glass so that the blood ran down his chin, and brandishing a dirk.

I do not know if he had taken these manners from the Indians of

America, where he was a native; but such was his way, and he would

always thus announce that he was wound up to horrid deeds. The

first that came near him was the fellow who had sent the rum

overboard the day before; him he stabbed to the heart, damning him

for a mutineer; and then capered about the body, raving and

swearing and daring us to come on. It was the silliest exhibition;

and yet dangerous too, for the cowardly fellow was plainly working

himself up to another murder.

All of a sudden Ballantrae stepped forth. "Have done with this

play-acting," says he. "Do you think to frighten us with making

faces? We saw nothing of you yesterday, when you were wanted; and

we did well without you, let me tell you that."

There was a murmur and a movement in the crew, of pleasure and

alarm, I thought, in nearly equal parts. As for Teach, he gave a

barbarous howl, and swung his dirk to fling it, an art in which

(like many seamen) he was very expert.

"Knock that out of his hand!" says Ballantrae, so sudden and sharp

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