“Red Legs was originally a slave—one of those unfortunates who were taken during Cromwell’s time, and, because they wore kilts—being Irish and Scotch, they were nicknamed ‘red-legs.’ At that time it was customary to ship prisoners and malefactors as slaves to the West Indies, where they were sold for fifteen hundred pounds of sugar each. They were marked or branded like cattle, compelled to labor with the blacks and were treated far more cruelly than the negro slaves. Many of them were shipped to Barbados and their descendants may still be seen there and are still called ‘red-legs.’ A few have become well-to-do, but the majority are miserable, ragged, degenerate folk who have never recovered from the effects of their ancestors’ servitude.
“The future pirate ‘Red Legs,’ however, fell into good hands—a planter who secretly sympathized with the prisoners’ cause,—and he was well educated and was practically adopted by his owner. When still a mere lad, however, his owner died and he was sold to a cruel master who made [[184]]life miserable for him. As a result, he decided to stow away on some ship bound for a Dutch island, but in the darkness, when swimming to the vessel, he became confused and by chance clambered onto the deck of a buccaneer ship. As a result, he was compelled to join the pirates and took part in their raids. But he was no pirate at heart. He could never bear the sight of tortures or brutality and resented the treatment of captive women. Once, in a quarrel over a female prisoner whom the captain was maltreating, the ex-slave killed his commander and, to his amazement, was elected captain himself. As a buccaneer chief he performed some really amazing deeds. He took the Island of Margarita and the vast fortune in pearls awaiting transportation to Spain. He sacked Santa Ysobel in Mexico, and he became one of the most notorious West Indian corsairs, although he was famed for the fact that he never permitted cruelties or the butchering of prisoners. Eventually he tired of the life and settled in Nevis with an old crony. Here he was discovered and cast into prison, but was freed by the earthquake that destroyed the town and, clinging to a floating bit of wreckage, escaped the fate of thousands of the citizens. Eventually he made his way to Dominica, [[185]]settled down again and spent the remaining days of his life in peace, a most worthy citizen. But ever he must have lived in deadly fear of discovery or betrayal. His house was built like a fortress with moats, heavy walls and underground vaults, while the balustrade to his verandah was most fittingly fashioned from old musket barrels.”
“Well, he was really a good pirate,” declared Jack. “Were there any others like him?”
“Not exactly,” replied his father. “But men often took to piracy for most peculiar reasons. For example, there was Major Stede Bonnet, also a native of Barbados. But unlike Red Legs, Major Bonnet, far from being a slave, was a most honored and well-to-do member of the colony. He was a gentleman by birth, well educated, possessed a large fortune and was an army officer. However, there was one fly in the gallant Major’s ointment. He had a nagging, scolding wife. But not until in 1716, when the Major began acting most strangely, did tongues begin to wag over him or his household. At that date Major Bonnet suddenly purchased a sloop, fitted her with ten guns and engaged a crew of seventy men. Then, indeed, did speculation become rife. To all inquiries [[186]]the Major replied ‘wait’ and the mystery deepened as the shipwrights rigged the craft, and upon its stern appeared the name ‘Revenge.’ Then one dark night, the Revenge slipped out of the harbor and disappeared, but in a few months came tidings of her that were a nine days’ wonder in Barbados. Major Stede had turned pirate! The Revenge was cruising off the American coast, taking prizes right and left; she had become the terror of Philadelphia, Salem, Norfolk and other coast towns, and the Major, to add insult to injury had made Gardiner’s Island in Long Island Sound his headquarters. Evidently pirating had appealed to the Major as a peaceful life beside the nagging tongue of Mrs. Bonnet.
“But the poor, hen-pecked Major’s career did not last long. He fell in with Teach, otherwise known as Blackbeard, who pretended to be an ally and then ruthlessly robbed the amateur pirate, and, a little later, the Major was captured off the Carolina coast. He managed to escape in a canoe, but the reward of seventy pounds sterling offered for him, dead or alive, soon brought results. He was retaken, tried at Charleston and hanged. After the long-winded lecture and flowery-worded harangue that the presiding judge inflicted upon [[187]]the poor condemned man the Major must have really welcomed hanging, and as he did not even plead the ‘discomforts to be found in the married state’ as extenuating circumstances for his misdeeds the execution was carried out at once.”
“That would have been funny if the poor Major hadn’t been hanged,” said Jack. “But please tell us about Blackbeard. Was he a buccaneer?”
“I’ll tell you of him presently,” replied Mr. Bickford, “but let us follow up the history of the buccaneers in its proper sequence first. As I have said, the buccaneers, as such, were practically destroyed when Morgan was made Lieutenant-Governor of Jamaica and waged a relentless war on his former associates. But to drive the corsairs from all their lairs in the Islands and about the Spanish Main was too big a job even for Morgan and the British king. To be sure they were driven from Jamaica, but the French still held Tortuga; there was a fortified island where they foregathered in Samaná Bay in Santo Domingo, and on many a small outlying bay and islet they were comparatively safe. Then there were the Dutch Islands and the Virgins. These last were particular favorites of the buccaneers. They belonged to France, Sweden, Denmark, Holland and [[188]]England and always they had been neutral ground for the freebooters. Here in these tiny out-of-the-way spots they could careen and refit, could carouse ashore and were safe from pursuit. The people looked upon them as friends; they spent money freely, and in return for the privileges and security afforded them, they never molested the inhabitants or their property. Many a buccaneer has swung to his own yardarm for an insult to some Virgin Islander; many a man was pistoled by his captain for attempting to make free with Virgin Islander’s property, and in the Virgin Island ports—in St. Martin, St. Barts, St. John, Anegada and even in St. Thomas the remnants of the Brethren of the Main found snug lairs.
The merchants bid for the loot brought ashore
