, took care to secure large profits.

This he had done several times, and as he sold his cargo at Port Royal
for dollars, he had always cash to pay for what the pirate wished to
get rid of. But he had now run into the lion's jaws, for not only were
I and the Portuguese on board to denounce him as a robber, but, what
was still more unfortunate for him, three of the pirate's crew, whom
he had swindled out of their property, were also on board of us, and
recognized him immediately.

As Captain Toplift knew how I had been treated by him, he thought it
was time he should be confronted with me, and to his question as to
whether there was any thing to dispose of, he replied to him, "You
must put that question to the captain. There he is."

The fellow turned to me; he looked at me, stared, and was mute, when
his cub of a boy cried out, "As sure as a gun it's he, father, and no
mistake."

"Oh, you imp of Satan, you know me, do you?" replied I. "Yes, it is
he. Send all the men aft."

The men came fast enough. They were only waiting till I had spoken to
them to come and give information against him.

"Now, my lads," said I, "this is a scoundrel who fell in with some of
us when we were in distress, after we had lost our vessel. Instead of
behaving as one seaman does to another, he robbed us of all we had,
and turned us adrift naked to be killed by the Indians. Of all, I and
the two Portuguese you took on board about four months back are the
only three left: the others perished. The one who was with me was
burnt to death by the Indians, and I narrowly escaped. I leave you to
decide what this scoundrel merits."

"But there is more against him, captain," said the men, and then four
of them stepped out and declared that he had run away with the money
belonging to the crew of which they were a part, and that the sum he
had stolen amounted to 25,000 dollars.

"What have you to say for yourself?" said I to him.

"That I have been a cursed fool to be caught as I have been."

"What will they do, father?"

"Hang us, I suppose," replied he.

"Captain Toplift," said I, "I do not command this vessel, and I shall
therefore leave you to decide upon the fate of this miscreant;" and
having said that, I was going below to the cabin, when the captain of
the Transcendant's son ran to me, and said, "I want to speak to you,
Sir, when you are alone."

"What are you after, Peleg?" cried his father.

"I'm going to save your life, father,