Meanwhile, the pirate ship drew rapidly nearer, and presently swung about and came alongside. The Buccaneers then threw grappling irons on to the deck of the yacht, and lashed the two boats together. {104}
“Ha, ha, ha! We have them now!” laughed Big Bill. “Come, my little birds, which one is your Queen?”
Not one of the Ladies answered Big Bill. No one would be so disloyal as to betray the Queen, and none of the Ladies, at least none of the Royal Ladies, would ever stoop so low as to speak to a pirate.
Long Jim quickly stepped forward. “This is the Queen,” he said as he pointed to Helen. “Take her and don’t bother with the others. That cannon shot of yours is sure to alarm the whole town, and we will have to make rapid work of it, if we get away safely. You were a stupid old noodle head to make such a noise.”
Big Bill scowled and drew his pistol when Long Jim said this.
“A stupid old noodle head, am I? Well, that shows how much you know about pirating. Did you ever hear of a pirate capturing a ship without firing a shot across her bow? Answer that now, if you can.”
But Long Jim, when he looked into the muzzle of the pistol, didn’t care to say any more, so he jumped across to the deck of the pirate ship and left Big Bill, who was not long in capturing Helen.
