happened? Tell me your story, and I will see what can be done
for you," answered Captain Lascelles.

"Why, sir, I was bound out of Liverpool with a cargo of manufactured
goods for Smyrna, when yesterday, as I was standing on my course with a
light wind, I fell in with a polacre brig with a signal of distress
flying. I hove-to, when her boat came alongside me with a dozen
cut-throat looking fellows in her, in red caps, and one very fine
gentleman with pistols in his belt, and a sword by his side. He was
very polite, and said that he was hard up for several things, but would
only trouble me for some biscuit and water. I was very glad to get off
so cheap, for I guessed what sort of a calling his was, so I gave him as
much as he wanted. He spoke a _lingua franca_, which he found I
understood. He said that he had known very unjust complaints being made
by merchantmen against his poor countrymen, and that, if I would be so
obliging, he would be very thankful if I would give him a certificate
that he had treated me and my people kindly, and had only taken a little
bread and water. Of course I was very willing, and thought him the
mildest and best-mannered of pirates; so I gave it to him at once.
Immediately he got it he put it in his pocket, and, turning to his
people, told them to knock down every one of my men who made any
resistance, and clapping a pistol to my head ordered me to hand out all
my cash. Meantime the polacre ran alongside, thirty or forty cut-throat
fellows jumped on board, and very quickly transferred the cargo of the
_Pretty Polly_ on board their vessel. When they had completely gutted
my brig, the pirate captain made me a polite bow, and thanking me for
the certificate, which, he said, he had no doubt would be useful to him,
wished me good-day, and returned on board his vessel, leaving all my
people with their hands lashed behind them. His followers had amused
themselves by painting my poor fellows' faces, and otherwise
ill-treating them. One had a tar-brush jammed into his mouth, another a
towel stuffed down his throat; and my mate they had almost beaten to
death because he had ventured to show fight."

"Which way did the polacre stand after she left you?" asked Captain
Lascelles.

"To the eastward, sir."

"You would know her again?"

"That I should, among a hundred like craft."

"Can you come with us?"

"No, sir, but I can let my mate go," answered the master to Captain
Lascelles' last