had　seen　wet　with　noble　tears　a　laughing　devil　now　lurked；　while　his　strong　mouth　became　a　loose…lipped；　devil…may…care　one。　His　head　with　its　aureole　of　bushy；　grizzled　hair　set　itself　jauntily　　upon　one　side；　and　from　it　and　from　his　face　and　his　whole　great　frame　breathed　a　wicked　jollity　quite　indescribable。
  〃Odsbodikins；　captain！〃　he　cried。　〃Kirby's　luck！　…　't　will　pass　into　a　saw！　Adzooks！　and　so　you're　captain　once　more；　and　I'm　mate　once　more；　and　we've　a　ship　once　more；　and　we're　off　once　more
  sail　the　Spanish　Main
  give　the　Spaniard　pain；
  ho；　bully　boy；　heave　ho！
  By　'r　lakin！　I'm　too　dry　to　sing。　It　will　take　all　the　wine　of　Xeres　in　the　next　galleon　to　unparch　my　tongue！〃
  CHAPTER　XXIII　　IN　WHICH　WE　WRITE　UPON　THE　SAND
  DAY　after　day　the　wind　filled　our　sails　and　sang　in　the　rigging；　and　day　after　day　we　sailed　through　blue　seas　toward　the　magic　of　the　south。　Day　after　day　a　listless　and　voluptuous　world　seemed　too　idle　for　any　dream　of　wrong；　and　day　after　day　we　whom　a　strange　turn　of　Fortune's　wheel　had　placed　upon　a　pirate　ship　held　our　lives　in　our　hands；　and　walked　so　close　with　Death　that　at　length　that　very　intimacy　did　breed　contempt。　It　was　not　a　time　to　think；　it　was　a　time　to　act；　to　laugh　and　make　others　laugh；　to　bluster　and　brag；　to　estrange　sword　and　scabbard；　to　play　one's　hand　with　a　fine　unconcern；　but　all　the　time　to　watch；　watch；　watch；　day　in　and　day　out；　every　minute　of　every　hour。　That　ship　became　a　stage；　and　we；　the　actors；　should　have　been　applauded　to　the　echo。　How　well　we　played　let　witness　the　fact　that　the　ship　came　to　the　Indies；　with　me　for　captain　and　the　minister　for　mate；　and　with　the　woman　that　was　on　board　unharmed；　nay；　reverenced　like　a　queen。　The　great　cabin　was　hers；　and　the　poop　deck；　we　made　for　her　a　fantastic　state　with　doffing　of　hats　and　bowings　and　backward　steps。　We　were　her　guard；　…　the　gentlemen　of　the　Queen；　…　I　and　my　Lord　Carnal；　the　minister　and　Diccon；　and　we　kept　between　her　and　the　rest　of　the　ship。
  We　did　our　best；　and　our　best　was　very　much。　　When　I　think　of　the　songs　the　minister　sang；　of　the　roars　of　laughter　that　went　up　from　the　lounging　pirates　when；　sitting　astride　one　of　the　main…deck　guns；　he　made　his　voice　call　to　them；　now　from　the　hold；　now　from　the　stern　gallery；　now　from　the　masthead；　now　from　the　gilt　sea　maid　upon　the　prow；　I　laugh　too。　Sometimes　a　space　was　cleared　for　him；　and　he　played　to　them　as　to　the　pit　at　Blackfriars。　They　laughed　and　wept　and　swore　with　delight；　…　all　save　the　Spaniard；　who　was　ever　like　a　thundercloud；　and　Paradise；　who　only　smiled　like　some　languid；　side…box　lord。　There　was　wine　on　board；　and　during　the　long；　idle　days；　when　the　wind　droned　in　the　rigging　like　a　bagpipe；　and　there　was　never　a　cloud　in　the　sky；　and　the　galleons　were　still　far　away；　the　pirates　gambled　and　drank。　Diccon　diced　with　them；　and　taught　them　all　the　oaths　of　a　free　company。　So　much　wine；　and　no　more；　should　they　have；　when　they　frowned；　I　let　them　see　that　their　frowning　and　their　half…drawn　knives　mattered　no　doit　to　me。　It　was　their　whim　…　a　huge　jest　of　which　they　could　never　have　enough　…　still　to　make　believe　that　they　sailed　under　Kirby。　Lest　it　should　spoil　the　jest；　and　while　the　jest　outranked　all　other　entertainment；　they　obeyed　as　though　I　had　been　indeed　that　fierce　sea　wolf。
  Time　passed；　though　it　passed　like　a　tortoise；　and　we　came　to　the　Lucayas；　to　the　outposts　of　the　vast　hunting　ground　of　Spaniard　and　pirate　and　buccaneer；　the　fringe　of　that　zone　of　beauty　and　villainy　and　fear；　and　sailed　slowly　past　the　islands；　looking　for　our　prey。
  The　sea　was　blue　as　blue　could　be。　Only　in　the　morning　and　the　evening　it　glowed　blood　red；　or　spread　upon　its　still　bosom　all　the　gold　of　all　the　Indies；　or　became　an　endless　mead　of　palest　green　shot　with　　amethyst。　When　night　fell；　it　mirrored　the　stars；　great　and　small；　or　was　caught　in　a　net　of　gold　flung　across　it　from　horizon　to　horizon。　The　ship　rent　the　net　with　a　wake　of　white　fire。　The　air　was　balm；　the　islands　were　enchanted　places；　abandoned　by　Spaniard　and　Indian；　overgrown；　serpent…haunted。　The　reef；　the　still　water；　pink　or　gold；　the　gleaming　beach；　the　green　plume　of　the　palm；　the　scarlet　birds；　the　cataracts　of　bloom；　…　the　senses　swooned　with　the　color；　the　steaming　incense；　the　warmth；　the　wonder　of　that　fantastic　world。　Sometimes；　in　the　crystal　waters　near　the　land；　we　sailed　over　the　gardens　of　the　sea　gods；　and；　looking　down；　saw　red　and　purple　blooms　and　shadowy　waving　forests；　with　rainbow　fish　for　humming　birds。　Once　we　saw　below　us　a　sunken　ship。　With　how　much　gold　she　had　endowed　the　wealthy　sea；　how　many　long　drowned　would　rise　from　her　rotted　decks　when　the　waves　gave　up　their　dead；　no　man　could　tell。　Away　from　the　ship　darted　many…hued　fish；　gold…disked；　or　barred　and　spotted　with　crimson；　or　silver　and　purple。　The　dolphin　and　the　tunny　and　the　flying　fish　swam　with　us。　Sometimes　flights　of　small　birds　came　to　us　from　the　land。　Sometimes　the　sea　was　thickly　set　with　full…blown　pale　red　bloom；　the　jellyfish　that　was　a　flower　to　the　sight　and　a　nettle　to　the　touch。　If　a　storm　arose；　a　fury　that　raged　and　threatened；　it　presently　swept　away；　and　the　blue　laughed　again。　When　the　sun　sank；　there　arose　in　the　east　such　a　moon　as　might　have　been　sole　light　to　all　the　realms　of　faery。　A　beauty　languorous　and　seductive　was　most　absolute　empress　of　the　wonderful　land　and　the　wonderful　sea。
  We　were　in　the　hunting　grounds；　and　men　went　not　there　to　gather　flowers。　Day　after　day　we　watched　　for　Spanish　sails；　for　the　plate　fleets　went　that　way；　and　some　galleass　or　caravel　or　galleon　might　stray　aside。　At　last；　in　the　clear　green　bay　of　a　nameless　island　at　which　we　stopped　for　water；　we　found　two　carracks　come　upon　the　same　errand；　took　them；　and　with　them　some　slight　treasure　in　rich　cloths　and　gems。　A　week　later；　in　a　strait　between　two　islands　like　tinted　clouds；　we　fought　a　very　great　galleon　from　sunrise　to　noon；　pierced　her　hull　through　and　through　and　silenced　her　ordnance；　then　boarded　her　and　found　a　king's　ransom　in　gold　and　silver。　When　the　fighting　had　ceased　and　the　treasure　was　ours；　then　we　four　stood　side　by　side　on　the　deck　of　the　slowly　sinking　galleon；　in　front　of　our　prisoners；　…　of　the　men　who　had　fought　well；　of　the　ashen　priests　and　the　trembling　women。　Those　whom　we　faced　were　in　high　good　humor：　they　had　gold　with　which　to　gamble；　and　wine　to　drink；　and　rich　clothing　with　which　to　prank　their　villainous　bodies；　and　prisoners　with　whom　to　make　merry。　When　I　ordered　the　Spaniards　to　lower　their　boats；　and　taking　with　them　their　priests　and　women　row　off　to　one　of　those　two　islands；　the　weather　changed。
  We　outlived　that　storm；　but　how　I　scarcely　know。　As　Kirby　would　have　done；　so　did　I；　rating　my　crew　like　hounds；　turning　my　point　this　way　and　that；　daring　them　to　come　taste　the　red　death　upon　it；　braving　it　out　like　some　devil　who　knows　he　is　invulnerable。　My　lord；　swinging　the　cutlass　with　which　he　was　armed；　stood　beside　me；　knee　to　knee；　and　Diccon　cursed　after　me；　making　quarterstaff　play　with　his　long　pike。　But　it　was　the　minister　that　won　us　through。　At　length　they　laughed；　and　Paradise；　standing　forward；　swore　that　such　a　captain　and　such　a　mate　were　　worth　the　lives　of　a　thousand　Spaniards。　To　pleasure　Kirby；　they　would　depart　this　once　from　their　ancient　usage　and　let　the　prisoners　go；　though　it　was　passing　strange；　…　it　being　Kirby's　wont　to　clap　prisoners　under　hatches　and　fire　their　ship　above　them。　At　the　end　of　which　speech　the　Spaniard　began　to　rave；　and　sprang　at　me　like　a　catamount。　Paradise　put　forth　a　foot　and　tripped　him　up；　whereat　the　pirates　laughed　again；　and　held　him　back　when　he　would　have　come　at　me　a　second　time。
  From　the　deck　of　the　shattered　galleon　I　watched　her　boats；　with　their　heavy　freight　of　cowering　humanity；　pull　off　toward　the　island。　Back　upon　my　own　poop；　the　grappling　irons　cast　loose；　and　a　swiftly　widening　ribbon　of　blue　between　us　and　the　sinking　ship；　I　looked　at　the　pirates　thronging　the　waist　below　me；　and　knew　that　the　play　was　nearly　over。　How　many　days；　weeks；　hours；　before　the　lights　would　go　out；　I　could　not　tell：　they　might　burn　until　we　took　or　lost　another　ship；　the　next　hour　might　see　that　brief　tragedy　consummated。
  I　turned；　and　going　below　met　Sparrow　at　the　foot　of　the　poop　ladder。
  〃I　have　sworn　at　these　pirates　until　my　hair　stood　on　end；〃　he　said　ruefully。　〃God　forgive　me！　And　I　have　bent　into　circles　three　half　pikes　in　demonstration　of　the　thing　that　would　occur　to　them　if　they　tempted　me　overmuch。　And　I　have　sung　them　all　the　bloody　and　lascivious　songs　that　ever　I　knew　in　my　unregenerate　days。　I　have　played　the　bravo　and　buffoon　until　they　gaped　for　wonder。　I　have　damned　myself　to　all　eternity；　I　fear；　but　there'll　be　no　mutiny　this　fair　day。　It　may　arrive　by　to…morrow；　though。〃
  〃Likely　enough；〃　I　said。　〃Come　within。　I　have　eaten　nothing　since　yesterday。〃
  〃I'll　speak　to　Diccon　first；〃　he　answered；　and　went　on　toward　the　forecastle；　while　I　entered　the　state　cabin。　Here　I　found　Mistress　Percy　kneeling　beside　the　bench　beneath　the　stern　windows；　her　face　buried　in　her　outstretched　arms；　her　dark　hair　shadowing　her　like　a　mantle。　When　I　s