profession, and worthy his trust. Trust?--what was the trust he held?
Surely, no legitimate commerce could warrant the outfit of such a vessel
as he controlled. A man-of-war could hardly have been more fully
equipped with means of offence and defence. Amidship, beneath that long
boat, was a long, heavy metalled gun that worked on a traverse, and
which could command nearly every point of the compass, while the ship
kept her course. Just inside the rise of the low quarter-deck--the cabin
being entered from the deck by the descent of a couple of steps--there
were ranged boarding pikes, muskets, cutlasses and pistols, ready for
instant use. In shape they formed stars, hearts and diamonds, dangerous
but fantastic ornaments.

The brightness of these arms, and the handy way in which they were
arranged in the sockets made to receive them, showed at once that they
were designed for use, while the various other fixtures of the cabin and
docks plainly bespoke preparation for conflict. A strong and lofty
boarding-netting being stowed, also, told of the readiness of the "Sea
Witch" to repel boarders. That all these preparations had been made
merely as ordinary precautions in a peaceful trade was by no means
probable; and yet there they were, and there stood the bright-eyed,
handsome and youthful commander upon the quarter-deck, but he did not
look the desperado--such a term would have poorly accorded with his
open and manly countenance, hie quiet and gentlemanly mien. A pirate
would hardly have dared to lay the course he steered in these latitudes,
where an English or French cruiser was very likely to cross his track.

"He handles a ship as prettily as ever a true blue did yet," said one of
the forecastle group, in replying to some remark of a comrade concerning
the commander.