n craft of all sizes.

Then HOLLINS got unto himself divers tugs and clam-boats, ferry-boats,
and one or two larger craft, which thieves had stolen privily aforetime
from the government,

For in that land all was done in those days by stealing; pilfering and
robbing were among them from the beginning.

And he went forth to battle.

* * * * *

Chapter III.

Now it was about the middle of the third watch of the night,

Came a messenger bearing good tidings unto the Philistines, even unto
the Pelicans and Swampers of New Orleans,

Saying, 'He has done it, well he has. _C'est un fait accompli_.'

Then got they all together in great joy, crying aloud, '_Vive_
Hollane!--hurrah for Hollins! _viva el adelantado!_ Massa Hollums fur
ebber! _Der_ Hollins _soll leben!_ Go it, old Haulins! _Evviva il
capitano_ Hollino! Hip, hip, hurroo, ye divils, for Hollins!'

Then there stood up in the high place one bearing a dispatch, which was
opened, the words whereof read he unto them:

[THE DISPATCH.]

'I have peppered them.

'Peppered, peppered, peppered, peppepa-peppered them.

'Pip, pap, pep, pop, pup-uppered 'em.

'I drove 'em all before me--glory, g'lang; knocked 'em higher 'n a kite
and peppered 'em.

'I sunk the Preble, and the Vincennes did I send to thunder. I peppered
'em.

'The ram has rammed everything to pieces, and the rest did I drive high
and dry ashore, where I peppered 'em.

'What was left did my ships destroy; verily I peppered 'em.

'The residue thereof, lo! was it not burnt up by my fire-ships?--yea,
they were peppered.

'The remainder I am even now peppering, and the others will I continue
to pepper.

'Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers--even so did I--such a
peppering never yet was seen, neither aforetime, or aftertime, not in
the land where the pepper grows, or any other time.

'I peppered 'em.'

And lo! when this was read there arose such a cry of joy as never was
heard, no, not at the Tower of Babel on Saturday night.

And he who read, said: 'Rome was redeemed for a thousand pounds of
pepper and a thousand of gold, pound for pound did they weigh it out.
But such pepper as this is beyond price--yea, beyond all gold.

'But what are they whom he has conquered, oh my soul? Dirt and Iniquity
is their name, evil are their ways, cuss and confound them!

'It was not worth the while for a gentleman to fight such
scallawags--behold, a blind nigger