on shore, and told to get a horse at once
and push straight for the Havannah. He
left with loud promises of performing his
task faithfully.

That evening, as the crew were drinking,
playing the guitar, singing and carousing,
we heard the dash of oars. The pirates
instantly flew to quarters, and dragged me on
deck to hail the boat in English. The boat
brought word that some of the chief mate's
party had arrived ashore, and, vowing
vengeance for the fate of their comrades, had
pursued our assassin to the house of Riego,
the magistrate, whither he had gone to
procure a pass for his journey. Nine men of
our crew volunteered to pursue the traitors,
and at once sallied forth. At midnight they
returned. They had surprised four of the
chief mate's gang, playing at cards, and
drinking under a tree. They had shot two
men and taken two prisoners, two more
(scouts) had escaped after killing one of our
party and wounding another. Our men had
unfortunately wounded the magistrate
(Seraphina's father), by firing their blunderbusses
through the doors and windows.
They wanted me to be sent on shore
instantly, to attend to the wounded. I was
rowed on shore, and then carried on a bed
fastened to a horse's back. The first
person I saw on my arrival was Seraphina,
who cried, "For God's sake take me, for
they have just killed my father."

I found her father with one bullet in his
shoulder and another in his arm. I dressed
his wounds, and those of the pirates. When
alone, Seraphina told me she could not fly
with me while her father's life was still in
danger, but that she remained unchanged,
and only waited a fitting opportunity. On
our way back the pirates seized another
of the chief mate's men who swam out
to our boat. Having tortured him, they
placed him blindfold on a tree projecting
over the sea and shot him. Their other
prisoners they had previously fastened to trees
and fired at; one monster lamenting that
he had lost a bet of a doubloon because
he had not killed his man at the first shot.

The next day we captured a Dutch
merchantman laden with gin, butter, cheese,
and canvas. On my way to shore to visit
Seraphina's father, a boat, rowed by six
men, came pulling towards us. It was
the chief mate and some of his partisans.
By my advice (for I knew if my comrades
were killed I should share their fate), my
men poured in a fire of blunderbusses, and
then leaped upon the enemy with their
cutlasses. Three mutineers fell by our first fire,
and three were sabred. We only lost one
man. When we reached the magistrate's
house I found him out of danger, and, to
my great joy, Seraphina informed me that
she had just engaged a guide for a hundred
dollars, and that we should start in eight
or ten days. The next time I went on
shore, Seraphina—her eyes beaming with
love and hope—threw herself into my
arms; the guide was ready; the day and
the hour could now be fixed. I clasped
her to my heart and wept with joy and
gratitude. Blushing, she disengaged
herself, and entreated me to repress all
emotions that might betray us. We then fixed
on the next evening for our flight. The
evening came, and I obtained leave to go
on shore. To my horror I found my
reception at Riego's cold and formal. The
mother looked at me with anger and
distrust, Seraphina stood behind her pale, her
cheeks bathed in tears. She made me a
signal to be silent. When I passed into
the sick man's room he broke forth:

"Well, sir, I have detected your base
and nefarious plans. Tour very guide
informed me of all."

I denied everything, and drew out my
lancet, treating him as if delirious.
Seraphina burst into tears, accused the guide
of having insulted her in the forest, and
said that this was his revenge for her
having threatened him. I found from
Seraphina that the guide, having obtained
fifty dollars in advance, had basely
betrayed her, but she hoped soon to get a
reliable man, and bade me still trust in
her sincerity and discretion. Alas! I
never saw her more. The next day the
assassin sent to destroy Mr. Lumsden
returned, his intended victim had luckily
sailed before the Spanish rascal had arrived.
That same day the pirates murdered the
French cook of the Dutch prize, who
had become mad, and had been held down
among the ballast. He at first defended
himself with a hatchet, but they stabbed
him in a dozen places and threw him
overboard while still breathing. The next day
we captured an English brig. Being left on
board the prize, I resolved that night, with
the aid of two prisoners, to attempt, under
cover of darkness, to kill the pirate pilot and
his Spanish companion, the only two pirates
on board, and to take the vessel to New
Orleans; but our captain was too cunning;
he sent for me at dusk, and the prisoners
were ordered down into the hold. The next
day the captain was attacked with a
dangerous fever, and in his great alarm