and took out my duck frock and trousers,
determining that I would, if I were killed, be killed in those clothes,
and be thrown overboard as a common seaman. I then went on deck, for I
heard the grating of the sides of the two vessels, and knew that they
were in contact.

All was uproar and confusion on board of the Transcendant, but there was
nobody on board the schooner except Toplift and myself. I cannot say
that I never saw such a scene, for I had seen quite as bad on board of a
privateer. The common seamen, as well as the soldiers, when let loose
to plunder, are like maniacs. In half an hour they had broken open
everything, cut the crew to pieces, and found out the hoard of dollars,
which was shown them by young Peleg, who tried for his share, but for so
doing received a chop with a cutlass, which cut off his right ear, and
wounded him severely on the shoulder; but his right arm was not
disabled, and while the man that out him down was bending over a heap of
dollars, which took both hands to lift them, the boy ran his knife deep
into the man's side, who fell mortally wounded. The rush for the
dollars thus at the mercy of the rest was so great, that Peleg was not
minded, and he crept away and came on board the schooner. We saw that
he was bleeding profusely, but we asked no questions, and he went down
the ladder forward.

"What has that young villain been after?" said Toplift.

"I presume he has been quarrelling for plunder, and considered that he
had a greater right to his father's money than anybody else."

Among other plunder the people had not forgotten to look for liquor, and
an hour had not passed before three-fourths of the men were more or less
intoxicated. They had found plenty of good clothes, and were strutting
about with gold-laced waistcoats and embroidered coats over their dirty
frocks. The uproar increased every minute, when Toplift, who had been
looking out with the glass, exclaimed, "There she is, by all that's
sacred!"

I caught the glass out of his hand, and found it was the king's ship.
She was a large flush vessel, apparently of eighteen or twenty guns,
just opening from the point, and not seven miles from us. We were still
becalmed, and she was bringing the wind down with her, so that to escape
appeared impossible.

"Now, what shall we do?" said Captain Toplift; "shall we allow her to
come down upon us and say nothing to the men, or shall we point out the
danger and persuade them