Long Jim thanked the Queen and said he was sure the sail would prove very entertaining. {102}
When Long Jim said that, if the Queen had but glanced at his face, she would have seen an expression, sly and crafty enough to frighten her; for the entertainment which he meant was of a kind that would not prove very safe for the Queen.
The Queen, however, had no suspicions, so, telling Long Jim they were now ready to start, the little company left the Castle and set forth for the lake. Laughing and chatting merrily, with never a thought of danger, they came presently to the Royal Boat Landing.
Two trained sailors rowed them to the
, now riding at anchor a little way from the shore. After assisting the last Lady to step aboard, Long Jim ordered the sail hoisted, when, a gentle breeze filling the canvas, the trim boat cut a way through the silver tipped ripples, and sped rapidly out on the lake.
Long Jim was such a good sailor that Queen Helen could not help remarking to her companions the pleasure it gave her to see the boat handled so skilfully. The Ladies said it pleased them, too, for now they felt perfectly safe and had not the least particle of fear of anything happening to cause danger, or to mar the enjoyment of such a nice afternoon, and such a delightful sail.
Long Jim chuckled to himself when he heard this conversation, for he thought, “I guess these Ladies would sing a new tune if they knew how this sail is going to end, and the Queen would certainly think I am a clever one if she knew how I have kept the boat headed right up the lake towards the river, and all the while with the sail set so not one of them can see that black pirate ship just beyond the bend.” {103}
But if Queen Helen and her Ladies did not see the pirate ship, the Buccaneers saw their ship, and now ran up their long black flag; and steering a course for the mouth of the river, drew the sail taut, so as to catch every particle of the breeze and went scudding out of the river into the lake, laying their course straight for the