Chapter I: Front Matter

THE DARK FRIGATE

Wherein is told the story of _Philip Marsham_
who lived in the time of King Charles
and was bred a sailor
but came home to England after many hazards
by sea and land and fought for the King at Newbury
and lost a great inheritance and departed for Barbados
in the same ship, by curious chance, in which
he had long before adventured
with the pirates.

BY CHARLES BOARDMAN HAWES

_Frontispiece in Color by_
ANTON OTTO FISCHER

_AN ATLANTIC MONTHLY PRESS BOOK_
LITTLE, BROWN AND COMPANY
BOSTON

_Copyright, 1923_,
BY THE TORBELL COMPANY
(Publishers of _The Open Road_)

_Copyright, 1923_,
BY THE ATLANTIC MONTHLY PRESS, INC.

_Copyright, 1934_,
BY LITTLE, BROWN AND COMPANY

_All rights reserved_

_Twentieth Printing_

THE ATLANTIC MONTHLY PRESS BOOKS
ARE PUBLISHED BY
LITTLE, BROWN, AND COMPANY
IN ASSOCIATION WITH
THE ATLANTIC MONTHLY COMPANY

PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

[Transcriber's Note: Extensive research did not uncover any
evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]

TO
GEORGE W. CABLE
WITH WARM ADMIRATION AND FILIAL AFFECTION

From _curious old books, many of them forgotten save
by students of archaic days at sea, I have taken
words and phrases and incidents. The words and phrases
I have put into the talk of the men of the Rose of Devon;
the incidents I have shaped and fitted anew to serve my
purpose_.

C. B. H.

CONTENTS

CHAPTER PAGE

I FLIGHT 3

II A LEAL MAN AND A FOOL 11

III TWO SAILORS ON FOOT 26

IV THE GIRL AT THE INN 35

V SIR JOHN BRISTOL 45

VI THE ROSE OF DEVON 57

VII THE SHIP'S LIAR 75

VIII STORM 83

IX THE MASTER'S GUEST 94

X BETWEEN MIDNIGHT AND MORNING 101

XI HEAD WINDS AND A ROUGH SEA 108

XII THE PORCUPINE KETCH 120

XIII A BIRD TO BE LIMED 137

XIV A WONDERFUL EXCELLENT COOK 144

XV A LONESOME LITTLE TOWN 158

XVI THE HARBOUR OF REFUGE 171

XVII WILL CANTY 182

XVIII TOM JORDAN'S MERCY 192

XIX A MAN SEEN BEFORE 198

XX A PRIZE FOR THE TAKING 208

XXI ILL WORDS COME TRUE 215

XXII BACK TO THE INN 231

XXIII AND OLD SIR JOHN 237

XXIV AND AGAIN THE ROSE OF DEVON 242

THE DARK FRIGATE