'
He loved a glass of the good liquor well, and with him 'twas always the
same reasoning, namely, to keep off chills; though he chopped the words
to suit the season, and now 'twas autumn, now winter, now spring, or
summer chills.
They must have found glasses, though I could not remember to have seen
any in the vault, for a minute later fugleman Ratsey spoke again--
'Now, lads, glasses full and bumpers for a toast. And here's to
Blackbeard, to Father Blackbeard, who watches over our treasure better
than he did over his own; for were it not the fear of him that keeps off
idle feet and prying eyes, we should have the gaugers in, and our store
ransacked twenty times.'
So he spoke, and it seemed there was a little halting at first, as of
men not liking to take Blackbeard's name in Blackbeard's place, or raise
the Devil by mocking at him. But then some of the bolder shouted
'Blackbeard', and so the more timid chimed in, and in a minute there
were a score of voices calling 'Blackbeard, Blackbeard', till the place
rang again.
Then Elzevir cried out angrily, 'Silence. Are you mad, or has the liquor
mastered you? Are you Revenue-men that you dare shout and roister? or
contrabandiers with the lugger in the offing, and your life in your hand.
You make noise enough to wake folk in Moonfleet from their beds.
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