They'd sally out from their hiding-places among the keys and lie in wait for the merchant-ships.

If the prey was weak enough they'd board and ransack her and make her crew walk the plank,--( that's how Aaron Burr's beautiful daughter is supposed to have died on her way North, you know,)--and if the ship showed fight or seemed too tough a handful the pirates hit on a surer way of capture.

They'd turn tail and run.

The merchant ship would give chase, for there were fat rewards out for the capture of the sea rovers, you know.

The pirates would head for some strip of water that seemed perfectly navigable.