They were soon overpowered and put in irons.
Great was the excitement caused in the goodly little City of New York, by the arrival of the merchant ship bringing as prisoners, the daring pirate with two of his men whose fearful deeds had caused all the inhabitants of the land to thrill with horror.
And great was the surprise of the citizens to find in that terrible pirate a well-known member of the community, and one whom nearly all regarded as a worthy member of society.
Another cause of surprise to the good people of the city, was the arrival by this vessel, of one whom all had long given up as lost, and that was Henry Billings, the lover of Hellena Rosenthrall.
He it was who had recognized in the commander of the whale boat, the pirate Flint, and had warned the captain of the ship of his danger, thereby enabling him to save his vessel, and the lives of all on board.
Captain Flint made a slight mistake when he took the vessel by which he was run down, for the India man he was looking out for. It was an ordinary merchant ship from Amsterdam, freighted with merchandise from that port. Though in appearance she very much resembled the vessel which Captain Flint had taken her for.
The reason young Billings happened to be on board of her was this:
It will be remembered that when the ship in which Billings had taken passage for Europe, was attacked by the pirates, he was forced to walk the plank.
By the pirates, he was of course supposed to have been drowned, but in this they were mistaken. He had been in the water but a few moments when he came in contact with a portion of a spar which had probably come from some wreck or had been washed off of some vessel.
To this he lashed himself with a large handkerchief which it was his good fortune to have at the time.