His piratical character was not yet sufficiently formed to give him the disloyal audacity which would enable him with his English ship and his English crew, to fall upon another English ship manned by another English crew.

In time his heart might be hardened, but he felt that he could not begin with this sort of thing just yet.

So the _Adventure_ saluted the _Royal Captain_ with ceremonious politeness, and each vessel passed quietly on its way.

But this conscientious consideration did not suit Kidd's crew.

They had already had a taste of booty, and they were hungry for more, and when the fine English vessel, of which they might so easily have made a prize, was allowed to escape them, they were loud in their complaints and grumblings.
One of the men, a gunner, named William Moore, became actually impertinent upon the subject, and he and Captain Kidd had a violent quarrel, in the course of which the captain picked up a heavy iron-bound bucket and struck the dissatisfied gunner on the head with it.