ew rushed into the cabin and released me. `The brig seems in
no way inclined to go down, captain,' they exclaimed. `If we could but
get the pumps rigged, we might save her as well as our lives; but the
pirate has only sheered off to a short distance, and if the villains on
board were to catch sight of our faces on deck, they would soon return
and put a finishing stroke to us.' `Let's see if we can do anything to
keep the water out,' said I, though I had little hope of success. On
going into the hold, which was pretty well free of cargo, on examination
I discovered that the holes had been bored through the timbers, instead
of through the planks. `Either a friend or a lubber has done this,'
exclaimed my mate. `I think the former,' I observed. `Get some plugs
as fast as you can, my lads, and we'll soon stop these leaks, and yet
keep the old barkie afloat.' The holes were bored mostly high up, so
that they were easily got at, and we thus had the greater number of them
quickly plugged. There is no doubt in my mind that the man who bored
the holes hoped by that means to save our lives. One of the crew, who
had all been shut up in the forepeak, told me that the man who had
lashed his hands took occasion to pass him, when he whispered, `Don't
move till we're clear off. Things are not so bad for you as they look.'
When I heard this, I was sure that all on board the pirate were not as
great villains as their leaders. As soon as this man had got his hands
free--which he did without difficulty, for they were purposely ill
secured--he loosed the rest; and then, afraid to show themselves on
deck, lest the pirates should see them, they worked their way aft to my
cabin. A strong confirmation to my suspicions that the pirate brig is
no other than the _William_, commanded by Delano, is, that as one of my
people lay bound on her deck, when we were knocked down on boarding her,
he observed the name of the sailmaker on her fore-topsail--John
Reynolds, of Liverpool. He remarked the name particularly, because he
was the maker who had furnished the sails of the last vessel he had
sailed in; and he remembered that he had observed the same name on the
_William's_ sails. We remained below for some little time after we had
plugged the holes, and then we managed to wrench off the hatches of the
forepeak. When we had done this, I crept cautiously out, and looking
over the bulwarks, I saw the pirate about a quarter of a mile off,
laying