how you appear before me drunk again."

Early next morning I presented myself at the admiral's office, timing
myself so as to catch the old gentleman immediately upon his arrival
from Kingston, when, having reported the _Tern_ as ready for sea, I
received my orders to sail forthwith, and also written instructions in
reference to the especial object of my cruise. These, I was by no means
surprised to find, indicated that, while doing my utmost to harass the
enemy, I was to devote myself especially to the task of hunting down and
cutting short the career of Morillo the pirate and his gang of cut-
throats.

We weighed shortly before noon, beating out against a sea breeze that
roared through our rigging with the strength of half a gale; and when we
were fairly clear of the shoals I gave orders for Black Peter's prisoner
of the previous night to be brought on deck. A minute or two later the
fellow--a half-caste Spanish negro--stood before me; and when I beheld
what manner of man he was, I could readily believe him to be on terms of
friendly intimacy not only with Morillo but with all the human scum of
the Caribbean. The rascal presented a not altogether unpicturesque
figure, as he stood in the brilliant sunlight, poising himself with the
careless, easy grace of the practised seaman upon the heaving, lurching
deck of the plunging schooner; for he was attired in a white shirt, with
broad falling collar loosely confined at the neck by a black silk
handkerchief, blue dungaree trousers rolled up to the knee and secured
round the waist by a knotted crimson silk sash, and his head was
enfolded in a similar sash, the fringed ends of which drooped upon his
left shoulder. But it was the fellow's countenance that riveted my
attention despite myself; it was of itself ugly enough to have commanded
attention anywhere, but to its natural ugliness there was added the
further repulsiveness of expression that bespoke a character notable
alike for low, unscrupulous cunning and the most ferocious cruelty. But
for the fact that he had been encountered upon ground whereon neither
Morillo nor any of his gang would have dared to show themselves, I could
readily have believed that he not only had a pretty intimate knowledge
of the movements and haunts of the pirates, but that he was probably a
distinguished member of the gang.

"Well, my fine fellow, pray what may your name be?" I demanded in
English, as he was led up and halted before me.