"I suppose," said Old Ropes, "that there aint no satisfaction in a feller's tellin' of things that aint no credit to him; but, howsomever, I might as well tell this, as, after all, it's only in the line of our business.
"You must know, then, that some five years ago, I shipped on board a brig engaged in the same business that our craft is.
"I needn't tell you of all the battles we were in, and all the prizes we made; but the richest prize that ever come in our way, was a Spanish vessel coming from Mexico, With a large amount of gold and silver on board.
"We attacked the ship, expecting to make an easy prize of her, but we were disappointed.
"The Spaniards showed fight, and gave us a tarnal sight of trouble. Several of our best men were killed.
"This made our captain terrible wrothy. He swore that every soul that remained alive on the captured vessel should be put to death.
"Now, it so happened that the wife and child (an infant,) of the captain of the Spanish vessel, were on board. When the others had all been disposed of, the men plead for the lives of these two. But our captain would not listen to it; but he would let us cast lots to see which of us would perform the unpleasant office.
"As bad luck would have it, the lot fell upon me. There was no shirking it.
"It must be done; so, the plank was got ready. She took the baby in her arms, stepped upon the plank, as I ordered her, and the next moment, she, with the child in her arms, sank to rise no more; but the look she gave me, as she went down, I shall never forget.
"It haunts me yet, and many and many is the time that Spanish woman, with the child in her arms, has appeared to me, fixing upon me the same look that she gave me, as she sank in the sea.