Thanks, Shanks. That's exactly what I needed to know: transitive verbs must take direct objects.

Now I need to go take a look at my AHD and check it out--make sure that those verbs that can go either way (transitive and intransitive) are listed as such. You will have set my heart at ease. I do hope you're right.

In the case of the pirate example, I find the sentence grammatically incorrect because in my way of thinking, that use of 'buried' requires a direct object. If 'buried' so used (or interpreted) is a transitive verb in the sentence, then the sentence is ungrammatical because the verb is without a direct object. I'm wasting too many words here--sorry to be so wordy.