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with them; no. But I have heard things which may be true. I have heard that the buccaneers are great fools. They plunder rich prizes and then throw their gains to the tavern hosts and brothel keepers of Tortuga and Goaves, like children throwing sand from them when they are tired of playing. Oh! great fools, I think."

"But did none of them ever take a town?" Henry asked.

"A village or so has fallen to them, but they have no leaders for such a thing."

"But a great town with a treasury?" Henry persisted.

"No, they have never done it. They are children, I tell you- strong, brave children."

"Could not a man who thought and planned carefully take a Spanish town?"

"Ho!" the cook laughed; "and are you going to be a buccaneer?"

"But if a man planned carefully?"

"Why, if there was a buccaneer who could plan at all, carefully or otherwise, it might be done; but there are no such buccaneers. They are little children who can fight like hell and die very nicely- but fools. They will sink a ship for a cup of wine, when they might sell the ship."

"If a man considered carefully and weighed his chances and the men he had, he might-"

"Yes, I suppose he might."

"There was one called Pierre le Grand who was no fool."

"Ah, but Pierre took one rich ship and then ran