 seen so many drunken men struck suddenly sober.
The cruiser had gone about, upon our impudent display of colours; she was just
then filling on the new tack; her ensign blew out quite plain to see; and even
as we stared, there came a puff of smoke, and then a report, and a shot plunged
in the waves a good way short of us. Some ran to the ropes, and got the Sarah
round with an incredible swiftness. One fellow fell on the rum-barrel, which
stood broached upon the deck, and rolled it promptly overboard. On my part, I
made for the Jolly Roger, struck it, tossed it in the sea; and could have flung
myself after, so vexed was I with our mismanagement. As for Teach, he grew as
pale as death, and incontinently went down to his cabin. Only twice he came on
deck that afternoon; went to the taffrail; took a long look at the King's ship,
which was still on the horizon heading after us; and then, without speech, back
to his cabin. You may say he deserted us; and if it had not been for one very
capable sailor we had on board, and for the lightness of the airs that blew all
day, we must certainly have gone to the yard-arm.
    It is to be supposed Teach was humiliated, and perhaps alarmed for 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
