{"id":"01KG8AKM4VNEE7W8R6GYW09T44","cid":"bafkreiczxjdd3h3u3yq3ynntbvwxtl2xi4ucmivzxmcy3cplgjxl3op6eu","type":"chunk","properties":{"end_line":5290,"extracted_at":"2026-01-30T20:48:05.591Z","extracted_by":"structure-extraction-lambda","label":"Chunk 3","source_file":"01KG89J1DKC9HHJRKY25JZBEXW","start_line":5203,"text":"“They have hot oat-cakes for us,” said Paul; “let ’em come. To\r\nencourage them, show them the English ensign, Israel, my lad.”\r\n\r\nSoon the boat was alongside.\r\n\r\n“Well, my good fellows, what can I do for you this afternoon?” said\r\nPaul, leaning over the side with a patronizing air.\r\n\r\n“Why, captain, we come from the Laird of Crokarky, who wants some\r\npowder and ball for his money.”\r\n\r\n“What would you with powder and ball, pray?”\r\n\r\n“Oh! haven’t you heard that that bloody pirate, Paul Jones, is\r\nsomewhere hanging round the coasts?”\r\n\r\n“Aye, indeed, but he won’t hurt you. He’s only going round among the\r\nnations, with his old hat, taking up contributions. So, away with ye;\r\nye don’t want any powder and ball to give him. He wants contributions\r\nof silver, not lead. Prepare yourselves with silver, I say.”\r\n\r\n“Nay, captain, the Laird ordered us not to return without powder and\r\nball. See, here is the price. It may be the taking of the bloody\r\npirate, if you let us have what we want.”\r\n\r\n“Well, pass ’em over a keg,” said Paul, laughing, but modifying his\r\norder by a sly whisper to Israel: “Oh, put up your price, it’s a gift\r\nto ye.”\r\n\r\n“But ball, captain; what’s the use of powder without ball?” roared one\r\nof the fellows from the boat’s bow, as the keg was lowered in. “We want\r\nball.”\r\n\r\n“Bless my soul, you bawl loud enough as it is. Away with ye, with what\r\nyou have. Look to your keg, and hark ye, if ye catch that villain, Paul\r\nJones, give him no quarter.”\r\n\r\n“But, captain, here,” shouted one of the boatmen, “there’s a mistake.\r\nThis is a keg of pickles, not powder. Look,” and poking into the\r\nbung-hole, he dragged out a green cucumber dripping with brine. “Take\r\nthis back, and give us the powder.”\r\n\r\n“Pooh,” said Paul, “the powder is at the bottom, pickled powder, best\r\nway to keep it. Away with ye, now, and after that bloody embezzler,\r\nPaul Jones.”\r\n\r\nThis was Sunday. The ships held on. During the afternoon, a long tack\r\nof the Richard brought her close towards the shores of Fife, near the\r\nthriving little port of Kirkaldy.\r\n\r\n“There’s a great crowd on the beach. Captain Paul,” said Israel,\r\nlooking through his glass. “There seems to be an old woman standing on\r\na fish-barrel there, a sort of selling things at auction to the people,\r\nbut I can’t be certain yet.”\r\n\r\n“Let me see,” said Paul, taking the glass as they came nigher. “Sure\r\nenough, it’s an old lady—an old quack-doctress, seems to me, in a black\r\ngown, too. I must hail her.”\r\n\r\nOrdering the ship to be kept on towards the port, he shortened sail\r\nwithin easy distance, so as to glide slowly by, and seizing the\r\ntrumpet, thus spoke:\r\n\r\n“Old lady, ahoy! What are you talking about? What’s your text?”\r\n\r\n“The righteous shall rejoice when he seeth the vengeance. He shall wash\r\nhis feet in the blood of the wicked.”\r\n\r\n“Ah, what a lack of charity. Now hear mine:—God helpeth them that help\r\nthemselves, as Poor Richard says.”\r\n\r\n“Reprobate pirate, a gale shall yet come to drive thee in wrecks from\r\nour waters.”\r\n\r\n“The strong wind of your hate fills my sails well. Adieu,” waving his\r\nbonnet—“tell us the rest at Leith.”\r\n\r\nNext morning the ships were almost within cannon-shot of the town. The\r\nmen to be landed were in the boats. Israel had the tiller of the\r\nforemost one, waiting for his commander to enter, when just as Paul’s\r\nfoot was on the gangway, a sudden squall struck all three ships,\r\ndashing the boats against them, and causing indescribable confusion.\r\nThe squall ended in a violent gale. Getting his men on board with all\r\ndispatch, Paul essayed his best to withstand the fury of the wind, but\r\nit blew adversely, and with redoubled power. A ship at a distance went\r\ndown beneath it. The disappointed invader was obliged to turn before\r\nthe gale, and renounce his project.\r\n\r","title":"Chunk 3"},"relationships":[{"peer":"01KG8AJJRQ70FGB5WT6Z54FG38","peer_type":"chapter","predicate":"in"},{"peer":"01KG89J1DKC9HHJRKY25JZBEXW","peer_type":"file","predicate":"extractedFrom"},{"peer":"01KG89HMDZKNY753EZE1CJ8HZW","peer_type":"collection","predicate":"collection"},{"peer":"01KG8AKM4PC3FH61MVHAQJ7BVW","peer_type":"chunk","predicate":"prev"},{"peer":"01KG8AKM4Q7NWKV462XG9B6HSV","peer_type":"chunk","predicate":"next"}],"ver":2,"created_at":"2026-01-30T20:48:10.395Z","ts":"2026-01-30T20:48:16.517Z","edited_by":{"method":"manual","user_id":"01KFF0H3YRP9ZSM033AM0QJ47H"}}