e little boat by
the captain of the Transcendant. I was very glad to see them. They
told me that, after great hardship and suffering, they had arrived
famished at the banks of this river, and had been taken on board by the
pirates, and had remained with them ever since; that they were very
anxious to get away, but never had an opportunity. I begged them not to
say who I was, but merely that I was once a shipmate of theirs. They
promised, and being very tired, I then lay down and fell asleep. I was
so worn out, that I did not wake till the next morning, when I found
that we were under all sail running down to the southward. I saw the
Jolly Rover, as I had termed him, on deck, (his real or assumed name, I
don't know which, I found out to be Toplift,) sitting on a gun abaft.
He called me to him. I said:

"Are you the captain?"

"Yes," he replied, "for want of a better. I told you months ago what we
were, so it's no use repeating it. Do you intend to join us?"

"Then," replied I, "I will be very candid with you. I have been driven,
as it were, on board of your vessel, but certainly without knowing
exactly what she was. Now, captain, I have to ask you one question:--
Would you, if you could go on shore in England, with plenty of money at
your command, and plenty of good friends,--would you be here?"

"No; certainly not," replied he.

"Well; I am in that position. If once in England, I have money enough
to live upon, and plenty of friends; I therefore naturally want to get
back to England, and not to run the risk of my neck on board of this
vessel."

"That's very true," replied he, "but there are other considerations; my
men won't have a man on board who will not swear fidelity, and if you
will not, I cannot protect you,--they will throw you overboard. We
don't carry passengers."

"That's very true, also; and I will swear fidelity so far as this, that
you never shall be betrayed by me, and I never will appear as a witness
against one of you; it were most ungrateful if I did. While I am on
board, I will do any duty you please to put me to, for I cannot expect
to eat my bread for nothing."

"And suppose we come to action?"

"There's the difficulty," replied I; "against an English ship I never
will fight."

"But if we are opposed to any other nation, and there is a chance of our
being overpowered?"

"Why, then, if you are overpowered, as I shall be flung along with the
rest, I think I must do all I c