“What!” exclaimed Dickory, speaking so earnestly that the Scotchman pulled him farther away from the church, “do you mean that you would leave Captain Bonnet here by himself, in a foreign town?”

“No’ a bit o’ it,” said Ben, “I’ll stay wi’ him an’ so will you.  Now run, Dickory!”

“Ben!” exclaimed the other, “you don’t know what you are talking about!  Captain Bonnet would be seized and tried as a pirate.  His blood would be on your head, Ben!”

“I canna talk about that now,” said Ben impatiently, “ye think too much o’ the man’s body, Dickory, an’ I am considerin’ his soul.”

“And I am considering his daughter,” said Dickory fearlessly; “do you suppose I am going to help to have her father hanged?” and with these words he made a movement towards the door.

The eager Scotchman seized him.  “Dickory, bethink yoursel’,” said he.  “I don’t want to hang him, I want to save him, body an’ soul.  We will get him awa’ from here after the ship has gone, he will be helpless then, he canna be a pirate a minute longer, an’ he will give up an’ do what I tell him.  We can leave before there is ony talk o’ trial or hangin’.  Run, Dickory, run!  Ye’re sinfully losin’ time.  Think o’ his soul, Dickory; it’s his only chance!”

With a great jerk Dickory freed himself from the grasp of the Scotchman.

“It is Kate Bonnet I am thinking of!” he exclaimed, and with that he bolted into the church.

The captain was examining the little pulpit.  “Haste ye! haste ye!” cried Dickory, “your men are all hurrying to the boats, they will leave you behind if they can; that’s what they are after.”

[Illustration:  “Haste ye! haste ye,” cried Dickory, “they will leave you behind.”]

Bonnet turned quickly.  He took in the situation in a second.  With a few bounds he was out of the church, nearly overturning Ben Greenway as he passed him.  Without a word he ran down the street, his cane thrown away, and his drawn sword in his hand.

Dickory’s warning had not come a minute too soon; one boat full of men was pulling towards the ship, and others were hurrying in the direction of an empty boat which awaited them at the pier.  Bonnet, with Dickory close at his heels, ran with a most amazing rapidity, while Greenway followed at a little distance, scarcely able to maintain the speed.

“What means this?” cried Bonnet, now no longer a gentleman, but a savage pirate, and as he spoke he thrust aside two of the men who were about to get into the boat, and jumped in himself.  “What means this?” he thundered.

Black Paul answered quietly:  “I was getting the men on board,” he said, “so as to save time, and I was coming back for you.”

Bonnet glared at his sailing-master, but he did not swear at him, he was too useful a man, but in his heart he vowed that he would never trust Paul Bittern again, and that as soon as he could he would get rid of him.