He did not know whom Bonnet intended to command the ship, but from the very beginning he had intended to command her himself.

But he had been too late.

He had not gone among the men as he had expected to do soon after setting sail, and here this country bumpkin had taken the wind out of his sails and had boldly announced that he himself was the captain of the pirate ship Revenge.
The men now began to talk among themselves; and as Bonnet still stood, his sword clutched in his hand and his chest heaving with the excitement of his own speech, there arose from the crew a cheer.

Some of them had known a little about Stede Bonnet and some of them scarcely anything at all, except that he was able to pay them good wages.

Now he had told them that he was a pirate captain, and each of them knew that he himself was a pirate, or was waiting for the chance to become one.
And so they cheered, and their captain's chest heaved higher, and the soul of the luckless Big Sam collapsed, for he knew that after that cheer there was no chance for him; at least, not now.
"Now go, my boys," shouted Bonnet, "back to your places, every one of you, and fall to your duty; and in honour of that black flag which floats above you, each one of you shall drink a glass of grog." With another shout the crew hurried forward, and Stede Bonnet stood upon the quarter-deck, the pirate captain of the pirate ship Revenge.
And now stepped up to his master that good Presbyterian, Ben Greenway.
"An' ye call yoursel' a pirate, sir ?" said he, "an' ye go forth upon the sea to murder an' to rob an' to prepare your soul for hell ?" Mr.Bonnet winked a little.
"You speak strongly, Ben," said he, "but that might have been expected from a man of your fashion of thinking.