“Yes: and the fellow is so remarkably skillful that he baffles all attempts to capture him, and always contrives to escape. They say he deals with the devil; that he knows his vessel, and his vessel knows him, for she does whatever he chooses. Sometimes she is seen in the rig of a schooner, at others in that of a brigantine, or brig, or barque, or—God knows what else.”
“How remarkable!” observed the captain.
“By Jove! that is not all,” still continued the merchant, “he is bold enough to take his prizes into any harbour that may happen to be the nearest at the time—whatever it be.”
“And has he never been discovered?” inquired the captain, as coolly as before.
“Bless me, no! If he does not actually deal with the devil, by Jove! the old boy always seems to help him, for he always manages to sell his booty, and get away before it is known that he had been there.”
“A dangerous man, surely,” again remarked the captain, “I must account myself fortunate, I perceive, that I have managed to bring my sugar safely into port.”
“By jingo! yes——But, a-propos, those sugars, I shall give you sixty dollars,” the merchant said.
The captain seemed to muse awhile and said—
“I shall take sixty, on condition that the money be paid this very moment, and also in gold.”
“Agreed,” cried the merchant, quickly: “wait here for me a short time; I shall bring you the money,” and he went out of the room, with the air of one who was congratulating himself on having achieved an extraordinary feat.