nd a scoundrel! If you do,
you will punish yourself, not us! Begone!"

The intrepidity of the leader communicated itself to the rest of the
company. Gines easily saw that there was no hope of bringing them over
to a contrary sentiment. After a short pause, he answered, "I did not
mean--No, damn it! I will not snivel neither. I was always true to my
principles, and a friend to you all. But since you are resolved to turn
me out, why--good bye to you!"

The expulsion of this man produced a remarkable improvement in the whole
gang. Those who were before inclined to humanity, assumed new energy in
proportion as they saw such sentiments likely to prevail. They had
before suffered themselves to be overborne by the boisterous insolence
of their antagonist; but now they adopted, and with success, a different
conduct. Those who envied the ascendancy of their comrade, and therefore
imitated his conduct, began to hesitate in their career. Stories were
brought forward of the cruelty and brutality of Gines both to men and
animals, which had never before reached the ear of the leader. The
stories I shall not repeat. They could excite only emotions of
abhorrence and disgust; and some of them argued a mind of such a stretch
of depravity, as to many readers would appear utterly incredible; and
yet this man had his virtues. He was enterprising, persevering, and
faithful.

His removal was a considerable benefit to me. It would have been no
small hardship to have been turned adrift immediately under my
unfavourable circumstances, with the additional disadvantage of the
wound I had received; and yet I could scarcely have ventured to remain
under the same roof with a man, to whom my appearance was as a guilty
conscience, perpetually reminding him of his own offence, and the
displeasure of his leader. His profession accustomed him to a certain
degree of indifference to consequences, and indulgence to the sallies of
passion; and he might easily have found his opportunity to insult or
injure me, when I should have had nothing but my own debilitated
exertions to protect me.

Freed from this danger, I found my situation sufficiently fortunate for
a man under my circumstances. It was attended with all the advantages
for concealment my fondest imagination could have hoped; and it was by
no means destitute of the benefits which arise from kindness and
humanity. Nothing could be more unlike than the thieves I had seen
in ---- jail, and the thieve