I do not know how it was, but my heart softened for once, and I stopped Tom’s hand just as he was going to pull the trigger on the man, who now stood alone, with his arms folded, awaiting his fate. Tom looked astonished, but put up his pistol with an oath, and after some demurrer, agreed with me to let them all depart without further harm. I even assisted them to catch their horses, which they mounted, and rode back with all the speed they could toward Montevideo. Ten minutes after they had gone I felt sorry, and thought I had acted like a fool.
After this adventure, I felt in continual fear of detection, and as we had accumulated by our robberies a sum not less than a hundred and fifty thousand dollars in money, jewels and trinkets, we transported our plunder by degrees to Rio, where we remained a few weeks enjoying ourselves, and then took passage for Buenos Ayres, where we remained a year, gambling and robbing as usual.
We had not spent all our money, but still had a large sum left, which we concealed in our trunks and canvas bags, and shipped on board the bark Anada, of Boston, bound for New Orleans. We did not go as passengers, as we wished to conceal the fact of having so much money in our possession.
During the passage, and in sight of the West India Islands, a mutiny occurred.
One of the ship’s boys having committed some offence, the captain ordered him to be whipped, and he was tied up aft. His yells and screams, as the cat descended on his back, made me mad, and going aft, I cut him down.
The captain interfered, when I knocked him down with a handspike, and my partner Tom backing me, we went into a general fight, which resulted in leaving Tom and I in possession of the ship. We tied all hand and foot, except the boy I had protected and one man, and then taking the boat, we lowered our chests into it, following them ourselves, and made for the shore.
We landed upon the Island of Barbadoes, and in the course of a few days went on board of an English brig, the Conova, bound for New Orleans. Everything went on well until we arrived within fifteen miles of the bar, when the officers, discovering that Tom Stone and I were armed, found fault with us, which led to a disturbance, whereupon we left the ship in a boat, fearing that we should be arrested on our arrival if we remained on the ship. We landed at the Belize, and in a few days arrived at New Orleans, where we remained for a few months, gambling and carousing.
From here we shipped for Liverpool on the ship Columbus, Capt. McSerin. We lost a man overboard during the passage, and the ship went ashore off Waterford in a gale of wind.
The Columbus went to pieces shortly after she struck, and I believe that nearly all hands were lost; but I made my way to shore on a fragment of the wreck, and was delighted to find, on reaching a place of safety, that my partner, who had braved so many dangers, and escaped so many other perils with me, had also escaped a watery grave.
We went into Waterford penniless, but we committed a robbery, the proceeds of which enabled us to reach Liverpool, from whence we shipped in the ship Charles Mallary, of Mystick, for Rio Janeiro.