"What became of the captain and mate afterwards, we never heard.
"We now put in to port on one of the islands where we knew we could do it in safety, and fitted our vessel up for the purpose we intended to use her.
"This was soon done, and we commenced operations.
"The game was abundant, and our success far exceeded our most sanguine expectations.
"There would be no use undertaking to tell the number of vessels, French, English, Spanish and Dutch, that we captured and sunk, or of the poor devils we sent to a watery grave.
"But luck which had favored us so long, at last turned against as.
"The different governments became alarmed for the safety of their commerce in the seas which we frequented, and several expeditions were fitted out for our special benefit.
"For a while we only laughed at all this, for we had escaped so many times, that we began to think we were under the protection of old Neptune himself. But early one morning the man on the look-out reported a sail a short distance to the leeward, which seemed trying to get away from us.
"It was a small vessel, or brig, but as the weather was rather hazy, her character in other respects he could not make out.
"We thought, however, that it was a small trading vessel, which having discovered us, and suspecting our character, was trying to reach port before we could overtake her.