at I brought the rum to him; so will the others. They will compare
notes, and I shall be accused of having plotted with the crew of the
_Mary_. It will be asserted that I intended to accompany them, and to
claim a reward--perhaps to bring a ship of war to the spot--and that
they had played me false in placing me in the boat. It will not be
supposed that I might have escaped, but would not break my oath. My
condition is indeed perilous."

I was right in that respect. Never, perhaps, had I been in such
imminent danger; but I forgot at the time that there is a higher Power
ever watchful over men, and that it will assuredly protect those who act
rightly.

Oh, let me urge my young friends, in their course through life, always
to do what they know is right, fearless of consequences: let no
consideration whatever induce them to act otherwise. They may not--
probably do not--see the way by which they are to be preserved, but God,
in His good time, will show it to them; or if they are exposed in
consequence to suffering, will not fail, beyond all measure, to reward
them.

I must explain that I do not feel quite certain that I was right in
taking the oath. Even now that years have passed since that time, I am
undecided as to that point; and therefore I trust that I may be pardoned
if I was wrong in doing so, when I had no time for reflection.

When the black saw me move, he made various strange noises, to call my
attention to his condition. I showed him that my hands were bound, but
I contrived to crawl towards him; and though his hands were behind his
back, he contrived so far to loosen the cords which bound mine (they
were, in truth, but slightly secured, and I could have released them
without aid), that I got them perfectly free. The first thing I did was
to take the gag from his mouth; and oh, what a torrent of abuse flowed
instantly out of it! He did not, however, suspect me, as I thought he
would. We next released the rest, but they were still too overcome with
the liquor to comprehend what had happened.

The wind was still off the shore, and the boat continued drifting out to
sea, her speed increased by a current which set to the southward. The
black recognised the mouth of the lagoon, which he knew well, but I
could not make it out. The two sculls were found, and, bestowing many
maledictions on his companions for not being able to drink with
impunity, he made me take one of them, and attempt to pull towa