upon obedience; and to you, Captain Toplift, I have also advice to
give, which is--to shoot the first man who behaves as that scoundrel
did who is now in irons. Boatswain! pipe down."

I hardly knew whether this latter order would be obeyed by the
boatswain, or, if obeyed by the boatswain, whether it would be obeyed
by the men; but, to my great satisfaction, it was; and the men retired
peaceably.

"Well, Captain Toplift," said I, "I have done you no harm, and myself
some good."

"You have indeed," replied he; "come down into the cabin." When we
were in the cabin he said, "You have unarmed and subdued the most
mutinous rascal in the vessel, and you have strengthened my authority.
They fully believe you are what you assert from your behaviour, and I
feel, with you at my side, I shall get on better with these fellows
than I have done. But now, to keep up the idea, you must, of course,
mess in the cabin with me, and I can offer you clothes, not my own,
but those of the former captain, which will suit your shape and make."

I readily agreed with him; and having equipped myself in the clothes
he offered me, which were handsome, I soon afterwards went on deck
with him, and received the greatest respect from the men as I passed
them. A cot was slung for me in the cabin, and I lived altogether with
Captain Toplift, who was a good-hearted, rough sort of a man,
certainly wholly unfit for the command of a vessel manned by such a
set of miscreants, and employed on such a service. He told me that he
had been taken three years before by a pirate vessel, and finding that
he could navigate, they had detained him by force, and that at last he
had become accustomed to his position.

"We all must live," said he, "and I had no other means of livelihood
left me; but it's sorely against my conscience, and that's the truth.
However, I am used to it now, and that reconciles you to any thing,
except murder in cold blood, and that I never will consent to."

On my inquiring where they were about to cruise, he said on the
Spanish Main.

"But," said I, "it is peace with the Spaniards just now."

"I hardly knew," said he, "it was peace. Not that peace makes any
difference to us, for we take every thing; but you refer to myself, I
know, and I tell you frankly that I have preferred this cruise merely
that we may not fall in with English vessels, which we are not likely
to do there. I wish I was out of her with all my heart and soul."

"No d