g witness in their own bosoms. In the
wildest revels and debauchery they spent their ill-gotten wealth. This
time they were true to each other, and if any one suspected that their
gold was obtained by unfair means, it was found impossible to prove
anything against them. It was before this, I believe, that Delano had
attempted to carry out some smuggling transaction at Malta, and had been
thrown into prison; on being liberated from which, ruined in fortune, he
had taken to the desperate courses I have described. He next got
command of the _William_ brig, in which he was joined by four of his old
crew. Two were put in by the owners,--the carpenter and another man.
He would willingly have sailed without them. He was also joined by an
old comrade, Bill Myers, who had just lost his cutter off Portland. He
had no fears of finding any opposition to his projects from his
scruples. The _William_ lay alongside the _Helen_, which vessel was
taking in a rich cargo. He easily excited the cupidity of his crew by
pointing it out to them. His own vessel had a cargo of very inferior
value--chiefly, I believe, of earthenware. The _William_ sailed a short
time before the _Helen_. He first proposed the plan of plundering her
to the four old pirates. They did not offer the slightest objection,
but expressed their doubts whether all the crew would join them.

"They must be made to do it," answered Delano, fiercely.

Myers at once acceded to Delano's proposal. Charles Adams was the next
to join them. They now felt themselves strong enough to talk openly of
their project. Each man boasted of the deeds of atrocity he had
committed with impunity, especially of their last act of piracy, and of
the mode in which they had spent the proceeds of their crime. They told
tales of the buccaneers of old--of the adventures of pirates in their
own day, of which they had heard, and of some with which they were
acquainted--of the hoards of wealth they had acquired. When they found
that these stories had not sufficient effect with some of their
shipmates, they applied to Delano, and liquor was freely served out.
Most of those who had before resisted now consented, in their drunken
state, to join in the proposed scheme. The most persevering and eager
tempter was the mate. If he could not persuade, he laughed away the
scruples of the more honest or more timid.

"Detection! nonsense!" he exclaimed. "Who can ever find it out? Who
can know i