rge of buck-shot, we can
drop forty or fifty at the first volley. After that the thing will be
easy enough. The savages will take to the mountains in a body, and we
shall take what we require, up anchor, and away."

To this plan the mate at length agreed. As he left the cabin I heard the
captain say,--

"Give the men an extra glass of grog, and don't forget the buck-shot."

The reader may conceive the horror with which I heard this murderous
conversation. I immediately repeated it to Bill, who seemed much
perplexed about it. At length he said,--

"I'll tell you what I'll do, Ralph: I'll swim ashore after dark and fix a
musket to a tree not far from the place where we'll have to land, and
I'll tie a long string to the trigger, so that when our fellows cross it
they'll let it off, and so alarm the village in time to prevent an
attack, but not in time to prevent us gettin' back to the boat; so,
master captain," added Bill with a smile that for the first time seemed
to me to be mingled with good-natured cheerfulness, "you'll be baulked at
least for once in your life by Bloody Bill."

After it grew dark, Bill put this resolve in practice. He slipped over
the side with a musket in his left hand, while with his right he swam
ashore and entered the woods. He soon returned, having accomplished his
purpose, and got on board without being seen,--I being the only one on
deck.

When the hour of midnight approached the men were mustered on deck, the
cable was cut and the muffled sweeps got out. These sweeps were
immensely large oars, each requiring a couple of men to work it. In a
few minutes we entered the mouth of the creek, which was indeed the mouth
of a small river, and took about half an hour to ascend it, although the
spot where we intended to land was not more than six hundred yards from
the mouth, because there was a slight current against us, and the
mangroves which narrowed the creek, impeded the rowers in some places.
Having reached the spot, which was so darkened by overhanging trees that
we could see with difficulty, a small kedge anchor attached to a thin
line was let softly down over the stern.

"Now, lads," whispered the captain, as he walked along the line of men,
who were all armed to the teeth, "don't be in a hurry, aim low, and don't
waste your first shots."

He then pointed to the boat, into which the men crowded in silence. There
was no room to row, but oars were not needed, as a slight push