“‘It may be imagined; it cannot be described.
“‘Morgan met me at the gangway, and was evidently glad to see me.
“‘He appeared haler and stronger than I had known him for many a month, and attributed his resurrection, as he called it, to his limiting his drink, reducing, in fact, almost to nil.
“‘But he had a strange story to tell me.
“‘The gale had separated him from his ships, but he had given them orders before this that if they lost each other they should bear up for Jamaica. He had another reason for this. From all accounts the man-o’-war that was convoying the bullion-ship was so large and formidable that it would have been madness to attack her. He had ordered, therefore, a large English man-o’-war to come to his assistance with all speed. Meanwhile he had determined to depend as much on the fleetness of his vessel as upon anything else.
“‘The gale had been so terrible for nine whole days that nothing could be done; his fleet, tacking and half tacking—for the wind had a deal of north in it—must now be at Jamaica. But he had determined to look out for the Spaniard.
“‘Good luck, as he called it, seemed to favour him; for one wild morning, when the sun leaped red out of the ocean, tipping the foaming wave-crests with blood, lo! down to leeward, and staggering under bare poles almost, was the huge Spanish bullion-ship.
“‘And no man-o’-war was in sight.
“‘Morgan could see quite a host of armed men on board.
“‘The sight might have staggered some. It only made Morgan savage. It was like the red rag shaken in sight of a bull.