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<v Speaker 1>Chapter thirty two of Buccaneers and Pirates of Our Coasts.

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<v Speaker 1>This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in

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<v Speaker 1>the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please

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<v Speaker 1>visit LibriVox dot org. Buccaneers and Pirates of Our Coasts

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<v Speaker 1>by Frank R. Stockton, chapter thirty two. The Real Captain

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<v Speaker 1>Kidd William Kidd or Robert Kidd, as he is sometimes called,

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<v Speaker 1>was a sailor in the merchant service who had a

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<v Speaker 1>wife and family in New York. He was a very

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<v Speaker 1>respectable man and had a good reputation as a seaman,

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<v Speaker 1>and about sixteen ninety, when there was war between England

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<v Speaker 1>and France, Kidd was given the command of a privateer,

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<v Speaker 1>and having had two or three engagements with French vessels,

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<v Speaker 1>he showed himself to be a brave fighter and a

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<v Speaker 1>prudent commander. Some years later he sailed to England, and

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<v Speaker 1>while there he received an appointment of a peculiar character.

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<v Speaker 1>It was at that time when the King of England

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<v Speaker 1>was doing his best to put down the pirates of

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<v Speaker 1>the American coast, and Sir George Belmont, the recently appointed

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<v Speaker 1>governor of New York, recommended Captain Kidd as a very

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<v Speaker 1>suitable man to command a ship to be sent out

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<v Speaker 1>to suppress piracy. When Kid agreed to take the position

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<v Speaker 1>of Chief of Marine Police, he was not employed by

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<v Speaker 1>the Crown, but by a small company of gentlemen of

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<v Speaker 1>capital who formed themselves into a sort of trust company

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<v Speaker 1>or society for the prevention of cruelty to merchantmen. And

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<v Speaker 1>the object of their association was not only to put

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<v Speaker 1>down pirates, but to put some money in their own

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<v Speaker 1>pockets as well. Kid was furnished with two commissions, one

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<v Speaker 1>appointing him a privateer with authority to capture French vessels,

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<v Speaker 1>and the other empowering him to seize and destroy all

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<v Speaker 1>pirate ships. Kid was ordered in his mission to keep

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<v Speaker 1>a strict account of all booty captured, in order that

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<v Speaker 1>it might be fairly divided among those who were stockholders

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<v Speaker 1>in the enterprise, one tenth of the total proceeds being

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<v Speaker 1>reserved for the King. Kidd said. Heiled from England in

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<v Speaker 1>the adventure a large ship with thirty guns and eighty men,

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<v Speaker 1>and on his way to America he captured a French ship,

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<v Speaker 1>which he carried to New York. Here he arranged to

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<v Speaker 1>make his crew a great deal larger than had been

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<v Speaker 1>thought necessary in England, and by offering a fair share

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<v Speaker 1>of the property he might confiscate on a piratical or

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<v Speaker 1>French ship, he induced a great many able seamen to

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<v Speaker 1>enter his service. And when the adventurer left New York,

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<v Speaker 1>she carried a crew of one hundred and fifty five men,

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<v Speaker 1>with a fine ship and a strong crew. Kid now

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<v Speaker 1>sailed out of the harbor with the ostensible purpose of

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<v Speaker 1>putting down piracy in American waters. But the methods of

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<v Speaker 1>this legally appointed marine policeman were very peculiar, and instead

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<v Speaker 1>of cruising up and down our coast, he gaily sailed

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<v Speaker 1>away to the island of Madeira, and then around the

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<v Speaker 1>Cape of Good Hope to Madagascar and the Red Sea,

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<v Speaker 1>thus getting himself as far out of his regular beat

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<v Speaker 1>as any New York constable would have been had he

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<v Speaker 1>undertaken to patrol the dominions of the Khan of Tartary.

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<v Speaker 1>By the time kid reached that part of the world,

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<v Speaker 1>he had been at sea for nearly a year without

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<v Speaker 1>putting down any pirates or capturing any French ships. In fact,

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<v Speaker 1>he had made no money whatever for himself or the

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<v Speaker 1>stockholders of the company which had sent him out. His men,

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<v Speaker 1>of course, must have been very much surprised at this

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<v Speaker 1>unusual neglect of his own and his employer's interests. But

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<v Speaker 1>when he reached the Red Sea, he boldly informed him

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<v Speaker 1>that he had made a change in his business and

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<v Speaker 1>had decided that he would no longer be a suppressor

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<v Speaker 1>of privacy, but would become a pirate himself, and instead

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<v Speaker 1>of taking prizes of French ships only which he was

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<v Speaker 1>legally empowered to do, he would try to capture any

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<v Speaker 1>valuable ship he could find on the seas, no matter

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<v Speaker 1>to what nation it belonged. He then went on to

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<v Speaker 1>state that his present purpose in coming into these oriental

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<v Speaker 1>waters was to capture the rich fleet from the Mocha,

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<v Speaker 1>which was due in the lower part of the Red Sea.

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<v Speaker 1>About that time. The crew of the Adventurer, who must

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<v Speaker 1>have been tired of having very little to do and

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<v Speaker 1>making no money, expressed their entire approbation of their captain's

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<v Speaker 1>change of purpose and readily agreed to become pirates. Kid

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<v Speaker 1>waited a good while for the Mocha fleet, but it

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<v Speaker 1>did not arrive, and then he made his first venture

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<v Speaker 1>in actual piracy. He overhauled a Moorish vessel, which was

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<v Speaker 1>commanded by an English captain, and as England was not

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<v Speaker 1>at war with Morocco, and as the nationality of the

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<v Speaker 1>ship's commander should have protected him, Kid thus boldly broke

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<v Speaker 1>the marine laws which governed the civilized world and stamped

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<v Speaker 1>himself an out and out pirate. After the exercise of

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<v Speaker 1>considerable cruelty, he extorted from his first prize a small

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<v Speaker 1>amount of money, and although he and his men did

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<v Speaker 1>not gain very much booty, they had wetted their appetites

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<v Speaker 1>for more, and Kid cruised savagely over the Eastern seas

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<v Speaker 1>in search of other spoils. After a time, the adventure

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<v Speaker 1>fell in with a very fine English ship called the

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<v Speaker 1>Royal Captain, and although she was probably laden with a

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<v Speaker 1>rich cargo, Kid did not attack her. His piratical character

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<v Speaker 1>was not yet sufficiently formed to give him the disloyal

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<v Speaker 1>audacity which would enable him, with his English ship and

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<v Speaker 1>his English crew, to fall upon another English ship manned

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<v Speaker 1>by another English crew. In time his heart might be hardened,

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<v Speaker 1>but he felt that he could not begin with this

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<v Speaker 1>sort of thing just yet. So the adventure saluted the

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<v Speaker 1>Royal Captain with ceremonious politeness, and each vessel passed quietly

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<v Speaker 1>on its way. But this conscientious consideration did not suit

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<v Speaker 1>Kid's crew. They had already had a taste of booty,

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<v Speaker 1>and they were hungry for more. And when the fine

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<v Speaker 1>English vessel of which they might so easily have made

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<v Speaker 1>a prize, was allowed to escape them, they were loud

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<v Speaker 1>in their complaints and grumblings. One of the men, a

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<v Speaker 1>gunner named William Moore, became actually impertinent upon the subject,

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<v Speaker 1>and he and Captain Kidd had a violent quarrel, in

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<v Speaker 1>the course of which the captain picked up a heavy

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<v Speaker 1>iron bucket and struck the dissatisfied gunner on the head

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<v Speaker 1>with it. The blow was such a powerful one that

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<v Speaker 1>the man's skull was broken, and he died the next day.

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<v Speaker 1>Kid's conscience seems to have been a good deal in

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<v Speaker 1>his way, for although he had been sailing about in

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<v Speaker 1>various eastern waters, taking prizes wherever he could, he was

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<v Speaker 1>anxious that reports of his misdeed should not get home

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<v Speaker 1>before him. Having captured a fine vessel bound westward, he

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<v Speaker 1>took from her all the booty he could, and then

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<v Speaker 1>proceeded to arrange matters so that the capture of this

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<v Speaker 1>ship should appear to be a legal transaction. The ship

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<v Speaker 1>was manned by Moors and commanded by a Dutchman, and

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<v Speaker 1>of course Kid had no right to touch it. But

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<v Speaker 1>the sharp witted and business like pirate selected one of

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<v Speaker 1>the passengers and made him sign a paper declaring that

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<v Speaker 1>he was a Frenchman and that he commanded the ship.

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<v Speaker 1>When this statement had been sworn to before witnesses, Kid

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<v Speaker 1>put the document in his pocket, so that if he

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<v Speaker 1>were called upon to explain the transaction, he might be

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<v Speaker 1>able to show that he had had good reason to

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<v Speaker 1>suppose that he had captured a French ship, which of

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<v Speaker 1>course was all right and proper. Kid now ravaged the

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<v Speaker 1>East India Wall with great success and profit, and at

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<v Speaker 1>last he fell in with a very fine ship from

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<v Speaker 1>Armenia called the quadag Merchant, commanded by an Englishman. Kid's

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<v Speaker 1>conscience had been growing harder and harder every day, and

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<v Speaker 1>he did not now hesitate to attack any vessel. The

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<v Speaker 1>Great Merchantman was captured and proved to be one of

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<v Speaker 1>the most valuable prizes ever taken by a pirate, for

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<v Speaker 1>Kid's own share of the spoils amounted to more than

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<v Speaker 1>sixty thousand dollars. This was such a grand hall that

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<v Speaker 1>Kid lost no time in taking his prize to some

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<v Speaker 1>place where he might safely dispose of her cargo and

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<v Speaker 1>get rid of her passengers. Accordingly, he sailed for Madagascar.

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<v Speaker 1>While he was there, he fell in with the first

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<v Speaker 1>pirate vessel he had met since he had started out

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<v Speaker 1>to put down piracy. This was a ship commanded by

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<v Speaker 1>an English pirate named Culliford, and here would have been

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<v Speaker 1>a chance for Captain Kidd to show that, although he

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<v Speaker 1>might transgress the law himself, he would be true to

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<v Speaker 1>his engagement not to allow other people to do so.

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<v Speaker 1>But he had given up putting down pirates, and instead

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<v Speaker 1>of apprehending Culliford, he went into partnership with him, and

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<v Speaker 1>the two agreed to go pirrating together. This partnership, however,

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<v Speaker 1>did not continue long, for Captain Kidd began to believe

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<v Speaker 1>that it was time for him to return to his

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<v Speaker 1>native country and make a report of his proceedings to

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<v Speaker 1>his employers. Having confined his piratical proceedings to distant parts

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<v Speaker 1>of the world, he hoped that he would be able

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<v Speaker 1>to make Sir George Bellamont and the other stockholders suppose

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<v Speaker 1>that his booty was all legitimately taken from French vessels

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<v Speaker 1>cruising in the east, and when the proper division should

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<v Speaker 1>be made, he would be able to quietly enjoy his

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<v Speaker 1>portion of the treasure he had gained. He did not

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<v Speaker 1>go back in the adventure, which was probably not large

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<v Speaker 1>enough to carry all the booty he had amassed, but

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<v Speaker 1>putting everything on board his latest prize, the Quadag Merchant,

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<v Speaker 1>he burned his old ship and sailed homeward. When he

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<v Speaker 1>reached the West Indies, however, our wary sea robber was

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<v Speaker 1>very much surprised to find that accounts of his evil

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<v Speaker 1>deeds had reached America, and that the colonial authorities had

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<v Speaker 1>been so much incensed by the news that the man

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<v Speaker 1>who had been sent out to suppress piracy had become

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<v Speaker 1>himself a pirate that they had circulated notices throughout the

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<v Speaker 1>different colonies urging the arrest of kid if he should

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<v Speaker 1>come into any American port. This was disheartening intelligence for

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<v Speaker 1>the treasure laden Captain Kidd, but he did not despair.

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<v Speaker 1>He knew that the love of money was often just

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<v Speaker 1>as strong in the minds of human beings as the

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<v Speaker 1>love of justice. Sir George Bellamont, who was now in

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<v Speaker 1>New York, was one of the principal stockholders in the enterprise,

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<v Speaker 1>and Kid hoped that the rich share of the results

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<v Speaker 1>of his industry which would come to the governor might

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<v Speaker 1>cause unpleasant reports to be disregarded. In this case, he

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<v Speaker 1>might yet return to his wife and family with a

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<v Speaker 1>neat little fortune, and without danger of being called upon

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<v Speaker 1>to explain his exceptional performances in the Eastern seas. Of course,

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<v Speaker 1>Kid was not so foolish and rash as to sail

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<v Speaker 1>into New York Harbor on board the quadav Merchant. So

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<v Speaker 1>he bought a small sloop and put the most value

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<v Speaker 1>portion of his goods on board her, leaving his larger vessel,

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<v Speaker 1>which also contained a great quantity of merchandise, in the

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<v Speaker 1>charge of one of his confederates, and in the little

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<v Speaker 1>sloop he cautiously approached the coast of New Jersey. His

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<v Speaker 1>great desire was to find out what sort of a

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<v Speaker 1>reception he might expect, so he entered Delaware Bay, and

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<v Speaker 1>when he stopped at a little seaport in order to

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<v Speaker 1>take in some supplies, he discovered that there was but

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<v Speaker 1>small chance of his visiting his home and his family,

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<v Speaker 1>and of making report to his superior in the character

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<v Speaker 1>of a deserving mariner who had returned after a successful voyage.

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<v Speaker 1>Some people in the village recognized him, and the report

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<v Speaker 1>soon spread to New York that the pirate Kid was

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<v Speaker 1>lurking about the coast. A sloop of war was sent

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<v Speaker 1>out to capture his vessel, and, finding that it was

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<v Speaker 1>impossible to remain in the vicinity where he had been discovered,

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<v Speaker 1>Kid sailed northward and entered Long Island Sound. Here, the

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<v Speaker 1>shrewd and anxious pirate began to act the part of

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<v Speaker 1>the watch dog who has been killing sheep. In every

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<v Speaker 1>way he endeavored to assume the appearance of innocence and

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<v Speaker 1>to conceal every side of misbehavior. He wrote to Sir

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<v Speaker 1>George Bellamont that he should have called upon him in

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<v Speaker 1>order to report his proceedings and hand over its profits,

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<v Speaker 1>were it not for the wicked and malicious reports which

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<v Speaker 1>had been circulated about him. It was during this period

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<v Speaker 1>of suspense, when the returned pirate did not know what

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<v Speaker 1>was likely to happen, that it is supposed by the

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<v Speaker 1>believers in the Hidden Treasures of Kyd that he buried

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<v Speaker 1>his coin and bullion and his jewels, some in one

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<v Speaker 1>place and some in another, so that if he were captured,

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<v Speaker 1>his riches should not be taken with him. Among the

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<v Speaker 1>wild stories which were believed at that time and for

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<v Speaker 1>long years after, was one to the effect that Captain

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<v Speaker 1>Kidd's ship was chased up the Hudson by a man

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<v Speaker 1>of war, and that the pirates, finding they could not

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<v Speaker 1>get away, sank their ship and fled to the shore

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<v Speaker 1>with all the gold and silver they could carry, which

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<v Speaker 1>they afterwards buried at the foot of Dunderberg Mountain. A

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<v Speaker 1>great deal of rocky soil has been turned over at

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<v Speaker 1>different times in search of these treasures, but no discoveries

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<v Speaker 1>of hidden coin have yet been reported. The fact is, however,

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<v Speaker 1>that during this time of anxious waiting, Kid never sailed

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<v Speaker 1>west of Oyster Bay in Long Island. He was afraid

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<v Speaker 1>to approach New York, although he had frequent communication with

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<v Speaker 1>that city and was joined by his wife and family.

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<v Speaker 1>About this time occurred an incident which has given rise

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<v Speaker 1>to all the stories regarding the buried treasure of Captain Kidd.

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<v Speaker 1>The disturbed and anxious pirate concluded that it was a

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<v Speaker 1>dangerous thing to keep so much valuable treasure on board

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<v Speaker 1>his vessel, which might at any time be overhauled by

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<v Speaker 1>the authorities, and he therefore landed at Gardner's Island on

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<v Speaker 1>the Long Island coast, and obtained permission from the proprietor

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<v Speaker 1>to bury some of his superfluous stores upon his estate.

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<v Speaker 1>This was a straightforward transaction. Mister Gardner knew all about

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<v Speaker 1>the burial of the treasure, and when it was afterwards

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<v Speaker 1>proved that Kid was really a pirate, the hidden booty

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<v Speaker 1>was all given up to the government. This appears to

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<v Speaker 1>be the only case in which it was positively known

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<v Speaker 1>that Kid buried treasure on our coast, and it has

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<v Speaker 1>given rise to all the stories of the kind which

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<v Speaker 1>have ever been told. For some weeks, Kid's sloop remained

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<v Speaker 1>in Long Island Sound, and then he took courage and

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<v Speaker 1>went to Boston to see some influential people. There, he

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<v Speaker 1>was allowed to go freely about the city for a week,

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<v Speaker 1>and then he was arrested. The rest of Kidd's story

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<v Speaker 1>is soon told. He was sent to England for trial,

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<v Speaker 1>and there he was condemned to death not only for

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<v Speaker 1>the piracies he had committed, but also for the murder

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<v Speaker 1>of William Moore. He was executed, and his body was

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<v Speaker 1>hung in chains on the banks of the Thames, where

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<v Speaker 1>for years it dangled in the wind, a warning to

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<v Speaker 1>all evil minded sailors. About the time of Kidd's trial

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<v Speaker 1>and execution, a ballad was written which had a wide

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<v Speaker 1>circulation in England and America. It was set to music,

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<v Speaker 1>and for many years helped to spread the fame of

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<v Speaker 1>the pirate. The ballad was a very long one, containing

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<v Speaker 1>nearly twenty six verses, and some of them run as follows.

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<v Speaker 1>Name was Robert Kidd when I sailed. When I sailed,

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<v Speaker 1>my name was Robert Kidd. When I sailed, my name

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<v Speaker 1>was Robert Kidd. God's laws I did forbid, and so

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<v Speaker 1>wickedly I did. When I sailed. My parents taught me

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<v Speaker 1>well when I sailed. When I sailed, my parents taught

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<v Speaker 1>me well. When I sailed. My parents taught me well

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<v Speaker 1>to shun the gates of hell. But gainst them, I rebelled.

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<v Speaker 1>When I sailed. I'd a Bible in my hand when

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<v Speaker 1>I sailed. When I sailed, I'd a Bible in my hand.

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<v Speaker 1>When I sailed, I'd a Bible in my hand. By

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<v Speaker 1>my father's great command, and sunk it in the sand.

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<v Speaker 1>When I sailed, I murdered William Moore as I sailed.

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<v Speaker 1>As I sailed, I murdered William Moore. As I sailed,

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<v Speaker 1>I murdered William Moore and laid him in his gore,

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<v Speaker 1>not many leagues from shore. As I sailed, I was

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<v Speaker 1>sick and nigh to death when I sailed. When I sailed,

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<v Speaker 1>I was sick and nigh to death. When I sailed,

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<v Speaker 1>I was sick and nigh to death. And I vowed

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<v Speaker 1>at every breath to walk in Wisdom's ways. As I sailed,

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<v Speaker 1>I thought I was undone as I sailed. As I sailed,

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<v Speaker 1>I thought I was undone. As I sailed, I thought

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<v Speaker 1>I was undone, and my wicked glass had run. But

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<v Speaker 1>health did soon return. As I sailed. My repentance lasted,

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<v Speaker 1>Not as I sailed. As I sailed, My repentance lasted.

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<v Speaker 1>Not as I sailed. My repentance lasted, not my vows.

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<v Speaker 1>I soon forgot. Damnation was my lot. As I sailed,

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<v Speaker 1>I spied the ships from France as I sailed. As

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<v Speaker 1>I sailed, I spied the ship from France. As I sailed,

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<v Speaker 1>I spied the ships from France. To them. I did

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<v Speaker 1>advance and took them all by chance. As I sailed,

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<v Speaker 1>I spied the ships of Spain as I sailed. As

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<v Speaker 1>I sailed, I spied the ships of Spain. As I sailed,

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<v Speaker 1>I spied the ships of Spain. I fired on them

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<v Speaker 1>a main till most of them was slain. As I sailed,

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<v Speaker 1>I'd ninety bars of gold as I sailed. As I sailed,

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<v Speaker 1>i'd ninety bars of gold. As I sailed, I'd ninety

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<v Speaker 1>bars of gold and dollars manifold with riches uncontrolled as

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<v Speaker 1>I sailed. Thus being overtaken at last, I must die.

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<v Speaker 1>I must die. Thus being overtaken at last, I must die,

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<v Speaker 1>Thus being overtaken at last, and into prison, cast and

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<v Speaker 1>sentence being passed. I must die, farewell the raging Main.

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<v Speaker 1>I must die. I must die, farewell the raging Main.

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<v Speaker 1>I must die, farewell the raging Main. To Turkey, France

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<v Speaker 1>and Spain. I shall ne'er see you again. I must die.

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<v Speaker 1>To execution Doc, I must go. I must go to

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<v Speaker 1>execution doc. I must go to execution doc. Will many

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<v Speaker 1>thousands flock, but I must bear the shock and must die.

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<v Speaker 1>Come all, ye young and old, see me die see

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<v Speaker 1>me die. Come all, ye young and old, see me die.

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<v Speaker 1>Come all, ye young and old. You're welcome to my gold,

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<v Speaker 1>for by it I've lost my soul and must die.

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<v Speaker 1>Take warning now by me, for I must die, For

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<v Speaker 1>I must die. Take warning now by me, for I

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<v Speaker 1>must die. Take warning now by me, and shun bad

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<v Speaker 1>company lest you come to hell with me, for I die.

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<v Speaker 1>It is said that kid showed no repentance when he

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<v Speaker 1>was tried, but insisted that he was the victim of

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<v Speaker 1>malicious persons who swore falsely against him. And yet a

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<v Speaker 1>more thoroughly dishonest rascal never sailed under the black flag

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<v Speaker 1>in the guise of an accredited officer of government. He

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<v Speaker 1>committed the crimes he was sent out to suppress. He

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<v Speaker 1>deceived his men, he robbed and misused his fellow countrymen

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<v Speaker 1>and his friends. And he even descended to the meanness

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<v Speaker 1>of cheating and despoiling the natives of the West India

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<v Speaker 1>Islands with whom he traded. These people were in the

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<v Speaker 1>habit of supplying pirates with food and other necessaries, and

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<v Speaker 1>they always found their rough customers entirely honest and willing

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<v Speaker 1>to pay for what they received. For as the pirates

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<v Speaker 1>made a practice of stopping at certain points for supplies.

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<v Speaker 1>They wished, of course, to be on good terms with

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<v Speaker 1>those who furnished them, But kit had no ideas of

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<v Speaker 1>honor toward people of high or low degree. He would

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<v Speaker 1>trade with the natives as if he intended to treat

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<v Speaker 1>them fairly and pay for all he got. But when

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<v Speaker 1>the time came for him to depart, and he was

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<v Speaker 1>ready to weigh anchor, he would seize upon all the

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<v Speaker 1>commodities he could lay his hands upon, and without paying

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<v Speaker 1>a copper to the distressed and indignant Indians, he would

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<v Speaker 1>gaily sail away, his black flag flaunting derisively in the wind.

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<v Speaker 1>But although in reality Captain Kidd was no hero, he

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<v Speaker 1>has been known for a century and more as the

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<v Speaker 1>Great American Pirate, and his name has been representative of

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<v Speaker 1>piracy ever since. Years after he had been hung. When

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<v Speaker 1>people heard that a vessel with a black flag, or

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<v Speaker 1>one which looked black in the distance flying from its rigging,

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<v Speaker 1>had been seen, they forgot that the famous pirate was dead,

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<v Speaker 1>and imagined that Captain Kidd was visiting their part of

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<v Speaker 1>the coast in order that he might find a good

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<v Speaker 1>place to bury some treasure which it was no longer

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<v Speaker 1>safe for him to carry about. There were two great

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<v Speaker 1>reasons for the fame of Captain Kidd. One of these

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<v Speaker 1>was the fact that he had been sent out by

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<v Speaker 1>important officers of the crown who expected to share the

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<v Speaker 1>profits of his legitimate operations, but who were supposed by

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<v Speaker 1>their enemies to be perfectly willing to take any sort

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<v Speaker 1>of profits provided it could not be proved that they

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<v Speaker 1>were the results of piracy, and who afterwards allowed Kid

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<v Speaker 1>to suffer for their sins as well as his own.

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<v Speaker 1>These opinions introduced certain political features into his career and

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<v Speaker 1>made him a very much talked of man. The greater

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<v Speaker 1>reason for his fame, however, was the widespread belief in

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<v Speaker 1>his buried treasures, and this made him the object of

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<v Speaker 1>the most intense interest to hundreds of misguided people who

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<v Speaker 1>hoped to be lucky enough to share his spoils. There

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<v Speaker 1>were other pirates on the American coast during the eighteenth century,

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<v Speaker 1>and some of them became very well known, but their

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<v Speaker 1>stories are not uncommon, and we need not tell them here.

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<v Speaker 1>As our country became better settled and as well armed,

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<v Speaker 1>revenue cutters began to cruise up and down our Atlantic

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<v Speaker 1>coast for the protection of our commerce. Pirates became fewer

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<v Speaker 1>and fewer, and even those who were still bold enough

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<v Speaker 1>to ply their trade grew milder in their manners, less

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<v Speaker 1>staring in their exploits, and, more important than anything else,

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<v Speaker 1>so unsuccessful in their illegal enterprises that they were forced

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<v Speaker 1>to admit that it was now more profitable to command

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<v Speaker 1>or work a merchantman than to endeavor to capture one.

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<v Speaker 1>And so the sea robbers of our coasts gradually passed away.

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<v Speaker 1>End of Chapter thirty two, end of Buccaneers and Pirates

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<v Speaker 1>of Our Coasts by Frank R. Stockton
