in myself no longer. Darting up to the captain, I
shouted in a voice of indignation--

"Do you mean to murder an innocent man, you dastardly villain?"

He looked at me for a moment in surprise; then, snatching a pistol,
felled me with it to the deck. I was not rendered quite insensible. I
heard the shriek of agony uttered by poor Edwards, as he fell off the
end of the plank into the sea; then I fainted.

How long I lay, I know not; probably not long, for I was restored to a
state of consciousness by being plunged into the sea. I had no doubt
that the captain had ordered me to be thrown overboard, just after I
fell under his brutal blow.

Being a good swimmer, I struck out at once and made for the side of the
pirate vessel, where I caught the end of a rope, and soon clambered on
board. I was much exhausted, and sat down on the breech of a carronade
to rest and recover my stunned and scattered faculties.

The crew of the pirate were so busily engaged with the captured ship
that I found myself quite alone on the deck. Not a man remained in the
ship. An idea suddenly occurred to me just then. I glanced up at the
sails. They were all flapping in the wind except the fore-topsail.
That sail had slewed round, and was drawing so that the vessel strained
the ropes and grappling-irons that held her to the captured ship.

I sprang up burning with eager excitement. I heard the shrieks of the
ill-fated victims, as one by one they walked the plank, which,
fortunately for the success of my design, was thrust out on the other
side of the ship. A crowbar enabled me to wrench off the
grappling-irons. Two cuts of a large axe severed the cable that had
been fastened to the bow, and the vessel's head fell slowly off. As it
did so, all the sails filled with a sudden clap. This was observed: I
heard a shout, and saw the pirates spring on the bulwarks of the prize.
I flew rather than ran to the stern, where the cable that held the
vessel was rigid as a bar of iron. One blow cut it, and the rope
recoiled violently in the faces of the men who laid hold of it. Next
moment the pirate ship was heading away before a stiff breeze which was
quickly freshening to a gale. As I sprang to the helm, a shower of
musket and pistol bullets tore up the deck round me, and I heard the
captain's voice give the order to load the guns.

It was a few minutes before the _vis inertiae_ of the ship was overcome,
so that I was within close range w