that she lay now in the Road
After some time, I came thither dress’d in my new Habit, and now I was call’d Governour again; being all met, and the Captain with me, I caused the Men to be brought before me, and I told them, I had had a full Account of their villanous Behaviour to the Captain, and how they had run away with the Ship, and were preparing to commit farther Robberies, but that Providence had ensnar’d them in their own Ways, and that they were fallen into the Pit which they had digged for others.
I let them know, that by my Direction the Ship had been seiz’d, that she lay now in the Road; and they might see by and by, that their new Captain had receiv’d the Reward of his Villany; for that they might see him hanging at the Yard-Arm.
That as to them, I wanted to know what they had to say, why I should not execute them as Pirates taken in the Fact, as by my Commission they could not doubt I had Authority to do.
One of them answer’d in the Name of the rest, That they had nothing to say but this, That when they were taken, the Captain promis’d them their Lives, and they humbly implor’d my Mercy; But I told them, I knew not what Mercy to shew them; for as for my self, I had resolv’d to quit the Island with all my Men, and had taken Passage with the Captain to go for England: And as for the Captain, he could not carry them to England, other than as Prisoners in Irons to be try’d for Mutiny, and running away with the Ship; the Consequence of which, they must needs know, would be the Gallows; so that I could not tell which was best for them, unless they had a Mind to take their Fate in the Island; if they desir’d, that I did not care, as I had Liberty to leave it, I had some Inclination to give them their Lives, if they thought they could shift on Shore.
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