The Book of Pirates and Highwaymen Read Free

followed them, and taking the boy by the arm, tossed him into the sea; then driving down the man, those below knocked him on the head, and threw him overboard.
    Those who were asleep, being awakened by the dismal shrieks and groans of dying men, ran upon deck in confusion, to enquire into the cause of such unusual noises; but the same cruelty was immediately inflicted upon them, before they could be sensible of the danger that threatened.
    They were now (as Roche himself afterwards confessed) all over as wet with the blood that had now been spilt, as if they had been dipped in water, or stood in a shower of rain; nor did they regard it any more. Roche said, Captain Tartoue used many words for mercy, and asked them, if he had not used them with civility and kindness? If they were not of the same Christian religion, and owned the same blessed Jesus, and the like? But they not regarding what he said, took cords, and bound the poor master and his mate, back to back, and while that was doing, both of them begged with the utmost earnestness, and used the most solemn entreaties, that they at least allow them a few minutes to say their prayers, and beg mercy of God for the various sins and offences of their lives; but it did not move them, (although all the rest were dead, and no danger could be apprehended from those two alone) for the bound persons were hurried up and thrown into the sea.
    The massacre being finished, they washed themselves a little from the blood, and searched the chests and lockers, and all places about the ship, and then sat down in the Captain’s cabin, and refreshed themselves with some rum they found there, and (as Roche confessed) were never merrier in their lives. They invested Roche with the command of the ship, and calling him Captain, talked over their liquor, what rare actions they would perform about Cape Breton, Sable Isle, and the Banks of Newfoundland, whither they designed to go as soon as they had recruited their company, and got a better ship, which they proposed speedily to do.
    Roche taking upon himself the command of the vessel, Andrew Cullen was to pass for a merchant, or supercargo; but then they bethought themselves, that they were in danger of being discovered by the papers in the ship, relating to the cargo, as bills of landing, &c.; therefore they erased and took out the name of the French master, and instead thereof, inserted the name of Roche, so that that it stood in the ship’s papers, Peter Roche, master; that then having so few hands on board, they contrived if they met any ships, to give out, that they had lost some hands by their being washed overboard in a storm, and by that means screen themselves from being suspected of having committed some such wicked act, by reason of the small number of hands on boards; and also that they might prevail with some ship to spare them some, on consideration of their pretended disaster.
    In going to Cadiz they were in distress by the weather, and being near Lisbon they made complaint to a ship, but obtained no assistance. They were then obliged to sail back for England, and put into the port of Dartmouth; but then they were in fear lest they might be discovered; therefore, to prevent that, they resolved to alter the ship, and getting workmen, they took down the mizen-mast, and built a spar deck, and made rails (on pretence that the sailors had been washed overboard) to secure the men. Then they took down the image of St Peter at the head of the ship, and put a lion in its place, and painted over the stern of the ship with red, and new named her the May Snow. The ship being so altered that they thought it could not be known they fancied themselves pretty secure; but wanting money to defray the charge of these alterations, Roche, as master of the vessel, and Andrew Cullen, as merchant, applied themselves to the officers of the customs for liberty to dispose of some of the cargo, in order to pay the workmen; which having obtained they sold