CHAPTER XXXVII
BONNET AND GREENWAY PART COMPANY
It was three days after this memorable combat--for the vessels engagedin it needed considerable repairs--when Mr. Rhett of Charles Town saileddown the Cape Fear River with his five vessels--the two with which hehad entered it, the pirate Royal James, and the two prizes of thelatter, which had waited quietly up the river to see how matters weregoing to turn out.
On the Henry sailed the pirate Thomas, now discovered to be thenotorious Stede Bonnet, and a very quiet and respectful man he was. Ashas been seen before, Bonnet was a man able to adapt himself tocircumstances. There never was a more demure counting-house clerk thanwas Bonnet at Belize; there never was an humbler dependent than thealmost unnoticed Bonnet after he had joined Blackbeard's fleet beforeCharles Town, and there never was a more deferential and respectfulprisoner than Stede Bonnet on board the Henry. It was really touching tosee how this cursing and raging pirate deported himself as a meek anduncomplaining gentleman.
There was no prison-house in Charles Town, but Stede Bonnet's wickedcrew, including Ben Greenway--for his captors were not making anydistinctions in regard to common men taken on a pirate ship--wereclapped into the watch-house--and a crowded and uncomfortable place itwas--and put under a heavy and military guard. The authorities were,however, making distinctions where gentlemen of family and owners oflanded estates were concerned, no matter if they did happen to be takenon a pirate ship, and Major Bonnet of Barbadoes was lodged in theprovost marshal's house, in comfortable quarters, with only twosentinels outside to make him understand he was a prisoner.
The capture of this celebrated pirate created a sensation in CharlesTown, and many of the citizens were not slow to pay the unfortunateprisoner the attentions due to his former position in society. He wasvery well satisfied with his treatment in Charles Town, which city hehad never before had the pleasure of visiting.
The attentions paid to Ben Greenway were not pleasing; sometimes he wasshoved into one corner and sometimes into another. He frequently hadenough to eat and drink, but very often this was not the case. Bonnetnever inquired after him. If he thought of him at all, he hoped that hehad been killed in the fight, for if that were the case he would be ridof his eternal preachments.
Greenway made known the state of his own case whenever he had a chanceto do so, but his complaints received no attention, and he might haveremained with the crew of the Royal James as long as they were shut upin the watch-house had not some of the hairy cut-throats themselvestaken pity upon him and assured the guards that this man was not one ofthem, and that they knew from what they had heard him say and seen himdo that there was no more determined enemy of piracy in all the Westerncontinent. So it happened, that after some weeks of confinement Greenwaywas let out of the watch-house and allowed to find quarters for himself.
The first day the Scotchman was free he went to the provost-marshal'shouse and petitioned an interview with his old master, Bonnet.
"Heigho!" cried the latter, who was comfortably seated in a chairreading a letter. "And where do you come from, Ben Greenway? I hadthought you were dead and buried in the Cape Fear River."
"Ye did not think I was dead," replied Ben, "when I seized ye an' heldye an' kept ye from buryin' yoursel' in that same river."
Bonnet waved his hand. "No more of that," said he; "I was unfortunate,but that is over now and things have turned out better than any mancould have expected."
"Better!" exclaimed Ben. "I vow I know not what that means."
Bonnet laughed. He was looking very well; he was shaved, and wore a neatsuit of clothes.
"Ben Greenway," said he, "you are now looking upon a man of highdistinction. At this moment I am the greatest pirate on the face of theearth. Yes, Greenway, the greatest pirate on the face of the earth. Ihave a letter here, which was received by the provost-marshal and whichhe gave me to read, which tells that Blackbeard, the first pirate of hisage, is dead. Therefore, Ben Greenway, I take his place, and there is noliving pirate greater than I am."
"An' ye pride yoursel' on that, an' at this moment?" asked Ben, trulyamazed.
"That do I," said Bonnet. "And think of it, Ben Greenway, thatpresumptuous, overbearing Blackbeard was killed, and his head broughtaway sticking up on the bow of a vessel. What a rare sight that musthave been, Ben! Think of his long beard, all tied up with ribbons, stuckup on the bow of a ship!"
"An' ye are now the head de'il on earth?" said Ben.
"You can put it that way, if you like," said Bonnet, "but I am not solooked upon in this town. I am an honoured person. I doubt very much ifany prisoner in this country was ever treated with the distinction thatis shown me, but I don't wonder at it; I have the reputation of twogreat pirates joined in one--the pirate Bonnet, of the dreaded shipRevenge, and the terrible Thomas of the Royal James. My man, there arepeople in this town who have been to me and who have said that a man sofamous should not even be imprisoned. I have good reason to believe thatit will not be long before pardon papers are made out for me, and that Imay go my way."
"An' your men?" asked Greenway. "Will they go free or will they be hunglike common pirates?"
Bonnet frowned impatiently. "I don't want to hear anything about themen," he said; "of course they will be hung. What could be done withthem if they were not hung? But it is entirely different with me. I am amost respectable person, and, now that I am willing to resign mypiratical career, having won in it all the glory that can come to oneman, that respectability must be considered."
"Weel, weel," said the Scotchman; "an' when it comes thatrespectabeelity is better for a man's soul an' body than righteousness,then I am no fit counsellor for ye, Master Bonnet," and he took hisleave.
The next morning, when Ben Greenway left his lodging he found the townin an uproar. The pirate Bonnet had bribed his sentinels and, with someothers, had escaped. Ben stood still and stamped his foot. Such infamy,such perfidy to the authorities who had treated him so well, theScotchman could not at first imagine, but when the truth became plain tohim, his face glowed, his eye burned; this vile conduct of his oldmaster was a triumph to Ben's principles. Wickedness was wickedness, andcould not be washed away by respectability.
The days passed on; Bonnet was recaptured, more securely imprisoned, putupon trial, found guilty, and, in spite of the efforts of the advocatesof respectability, was condemned to be hung on the same spot wherenearly all the members of his pirate crew had been executed.
During all this time Ben Greenway kept away from his old master; he hadborne ill-treatment of every kind, but the deception practised upon himwhen, at his latest interview, Bonnet talked to him of hisrespectability, having already planned an escape and return to his evilways, was too much for the honest Scotchman. He had done with this man,faithless to friend and foe, to his own blood, and even to his own badreputation.
But not quite done. It was but half an hour before the time fixed forthe pirate's execution that Ben Greenway gained access to him.
"What!" cried Bonnet, raising his head from his hands. "You here? Ithought I had done with you!"
"Ay, I am here," said Ben Greenway. "I hae stood by ye in good fortunean' in bad fortune, an' I hae never left ye, no matter what happened;an' I told ye I would follow ye to the gates o' hell, but I could go nofarther. I hae kept my word an' here I stop. Fareweel!"
"The only comfortable thing about this business," said Bonnet, "is toknow that at last I am rid of that fellow!"