“I like your speech, my boy, I like your speech!” cried Blackbeard, and he roared out a big laugh. “‘Urgently necessary’ you must do this, you must do that.  It is so long since I have heard such words that they come to me like wine from a cool vault.”

At this Dickory flushed hot, but he shut his mouth.

“You are a brave fellow,” cried Blackbeard, “and above the common, you are above the common.  There is that in your eye that could never be seen in the eye of a sugar-planter.  You will make a good pirate.”

“Pirate!” cried Dickory, losing all sense of prudence.  “I would sooner be a wild beast in the forest than to be a pirate!”

Blackbeard laughed loudly.  “A good fellow, a brave fellow!” he cried.  “No man who has not the soul of a pirate within him could stand on his legs and speak those words to me.  Sail to Jamaica to carry messages to girls?  Never!  You shall stay with me, you shall be a pirate.  You shall be the head of all the pirates when I give up the business and take to sugar-planting.  Ha! ha!  When I take to sugar-planting and merrily make my own good rum!”

Dickory was dismayed.  “But, Captain Blackbeard,” he said, with more deference than before, “I cannot.”

“Cannot!” shouted the pirate, “you lie, you can.  Say not cannot to me; you can do anything I tell you, and do it you shall.  And now I am going to put you in your place, and see that you hold it and fill it.  An if you please me not, you carry no more messages in this world, nor receive them.  Charter, I now make you the first officer of the Revenge under me.  You cannot be mate because you know nothing of sailing a ship, and besides no mate nor any quarter-master is worthy to array himself as I shall array you.  I make you first lieutenant, and you shall wear the uniform and the cocked hat which Sir Nightcap hath no further use for.”

With that he went forward to speak to some of the men, leaving Dickory standing speechless, with the expression of an infuriated idiot.  Black Paul stepped up to him.

“How now, youngster,” said the ex-sailing-master, “first officer, eh?  If you look sharp, you may find yourself in fine feather.”

“No, I will not,” answered Dickory.  “I will have nothing to do with this black pirate; I will not serve under him, I will not take charge of anything for him.  I am ashamed to talk with him, to be on the same ship with him.  I serve good people, the best and noblest in the world, and I will not enter any service under him.”

“Hold ye, hold ye!” said Black Paul, “you will not serve the good people you speak of by going overboard with a bullet in your head; think of that, youngster.  It is a poor way of helping your friends by quitting the world and leaving them in the lurch.”

At this moment Blackbeard returned, and when he saw Bittern he roared at him:  “Out of that, you sea-cat, and if I see you again speaking to my lieutenant, I’ll slash your ears for you.  In the next boat which leaves this ship I shall send you to one of the others; I will have no sneaking schemer on board the Revenge.  Get ye for’ad, get ye for’ad, or I shall help ye with my cutlass!”