”‘Pull away, and you’ll have her yet,’ shouted the chief mutineer. There was another horrid pause. ‘No, she has sunk,’ he cried. ‘A few strokes more, and watch for her if she rises. I see her hair below the water. Oh, you fools, you have missed her!’
“He still stood watching—an age it seemed to me. My feelings almost overpowered me. He stepped down on the deck. I heard the boat alongside: the men came on deck: they brought not Julie. She had escaped them; and, had I dared to pray, I would have thanked Heaven for it.
“After this, I know not what occurred for several days. I was in a raging fever; and, had I not lost so much blood, I should have died. Hallton had spared my life, both because I was the only man, besides himself, on board, who understood how to navigate the ship, and because he knew my temper, and that I was completely in his power: he had only to threaten to deliver me up as the murderer of Arnold, and I was again his slave.
“Well, sir, when I was able to crawl on deck, we were running up the Gulf of Mexico; and, after changing our destination several times, we stood for Vera Cruz. Hallton never once referred to what had occurred: he spoke to me soothingly, telling me that, as he had been elected captain, I was to be his first mate, and that a Spaniard, called Domingos, was to be second. I told him that I was ready for anything; for, in truth, I had no longer any power of thought. All I wanted was excitement; and when he talked of the wealth we should gain by pirating, I only longed for the chase and the fierce fight. When we were within two days’ sail of our port, the captain told me that he was convinced it would never do to take the brig into the harbour, where she might be recognised by the people on board some of the other vessels; that we must look out for some other craft; and then taking the two to one of the quays at the south of Cuba, where the old pirates used to resort, we must refit, and alter one of them, so that she could not possibly again be known. I had nothing to say against his plan, which, being agreed to by all the crew, we once more changed our course.
“We cruised for some days on the Spanish main, when we sighted a large schooner, which was at once pronounced to be an American merchantman. They are very fast vessels in general; so that, if we alarmed her, we could not hope to come up with her in the chase. Sending down our topgallant-masts, we clewed up the topsails, and, slacking the braces, we let the yards swing every way, while, at the some time, we hoisted signals of distress. The schooner made us out before long, and stood towards us to see what was the matter. When she was about a mile from us, it fell a dead calm, and we were consulting whether we would get alongside her in boats or wait for a breeze to board her, when the captain ordered all the men to lie down; and, standing upon the taffrail, he made signs that we were in want of water. On this, a boat was lowered from the schooner, with six hands in her, and we saw a couple of kegs handed down the side.
“Oh! sir, it was a devilish trick we played those who were ready to relieve our distress—one that a seaman naturally looks on with peculiar abomination; but we seemed to delight in outraging all the laws both of God and man. With rapid strokes the boat pulled towards us; and as her crew eagerly jumped on the deck of the brig, they were knocked on the head and tumbled below. The last two who remained in the boat were stabbed, so as not to make any noise. We then stripped off their shirts and hats, and six of our best hands, including Hallton, dressing up in them, with three others concealed at the bottom of the boat, pulled towards the schooner. Another boat was got ready on the opposite side, to where the schooner lay, to support the first, if necessary.
“Our people were not suspected till they got almost alongside the schooner, when the Americans, seeing strange faces instead of their own friends, could not doubt what sort of customers they had to deal with. They seized what arms they could lay their hands on to defend themselves; but it was too late for resistance. Hallton and his crew were on board before they had time to load a musket.
“The greater number were cut down on the instant: a few defended themselves on the fore port of the vessel, but the second boat following, boarded on the bow, when these too were quickly overpowered. Not one of our party was hurt. The master of the schooner and his two mates were killed. Some of the crew, to whom we offered their lives on condition of joining us, accepted our terms; but several refused to do so. After taking possession of our prize, which was a remarkably fine schooner, just suited to our purpose, we set to work to dispose of our prisoners. Hallton, with his usual diabolical cunning, hit upon a plan to secure the obedience of those of the schooner’s crew who had joined us, by making them murder the remainder of their shipmates.
“It was cold-blooded, dreadful work. The victims were compelled to stand at the gangway, while, one by one, their former friends advanced with a pistol, and, blowing out their brains, hove them into the sea. Two men had thus been murdered, when it came to the turn of a youth of respectable appearance, the son of the owner, I think he was, to perform the part of executioner. He had at first consented to live, but I have my doubts whether he did not even then contemplate what he afterwards attempted.
“Seizing the pistol which was offered him, with a stern look he advanced towards the wretch he was ordered to kill; but, instead of drawing the trigger, he turned suddenly round, and taking a deliberate aim at our captain, fired. The ball grazed the captain’s cheek. With a look of fury he rushed with his drawn cutlass at the daring youth, who, standing firmly prepared for his fate, was cut down on the deck. Life ebbing fast away from several tremendous gashes, the young man lifted himself from the deck on one arm—