vessel, and
leading him to the gangway, passed his sword through his body, and
tossed him into the sea.

In the same manner each of the murderous villains led forward the man
he had selected, and putting an end to his life, either by the sword or
pistol, launched the corpse into the waves.

My blood curdled as I beheld the scene, but I said nothing. I considered
myself too fortunate to escape with life. When it was all over, the
boatswain roared out, "_That job's done_! Now, Mr Barber, swab up all
this here blood, and be d----d to you! and recollect that you are one of
us." I obeyed in fear and silence, and then returned to my former
station near the taffrail.

The people who had captured us, as I afterwards found out, were part of
the crew of an English Guineaman, who had murdered the master and mate,
and had taken possession of the vessel. As our brig was a much finer
craft in every respect, they determined upon retaining her, and
scuttling their own. Before night, they had made all their arrangements,
and were standing to the westward with a fine breeze.

But exactly as the bell struck eight for midnight, a tremendous voice
was heard at the hatchway, if possible, more than a hundred times louder
than the boatswain's, roaring out "_All hands ahoy_!"

The concussion of the air was so great, that the ship trembled, as if
she had been struck with a thunderbolt; and as soon as the motion had
subsided, the water was heard to rush into every part of the hold. Every
body ran on deck astonished with the sound, expecting the vessel
immediately to go down, and looking at each other with horror as they
stood trembling in their shirts. The water continued to rush into the
vessel, until it reached the orlop beams; then, as suddenly, it stopped.

When the panic had, to a certain degree, subsided, and they perceived
that the water did not increase, all hands applied to the pumps, and by
eight o'clock in the morning the vessel was free. Still the
unaccountable circumstance weighed heavy on the minds of the seamen, who
walked the deck without speaking to each other, or paying any attention
to the ship's course; and as no one took the command, no one was ordered
to the helm.

For my own part, I thought it a judgment upon them for their cruelty;
and, expecting that worse would happen, I had made up my mind to my
fate. I thought of Marie, and hoping for pardon yet fearing the worst, I
vowed, if I escaped, that I would amend my l