were constantly attacked
and plundered. They remarked that it was difficult to find out these
piratical craft. Sometimes the pirates appeared in one guise and
sometimes in another; at one time in a schooner, at others in a felucca,
or in a brig; and often even in open boats. "Yes," observed the
attorney, "they seem to have excellent information of all that goes on
in Kingston. I suspect that they have confederates on shore, who tell
them all they want to know." I thought the captain would have fallen
off his chair, but he quickly recovered himself, and no one appeared to
have remarked his agitation. They did carry on, to be sure! What
quantities of wine and rum-punch they drank! How their heads could
stand it I don't know. Two or three of them did roll under the table,
when their black slaves came and dragged them off to bed; which must
have raised them in the negroes' opinion. Even the captain, who was
generally a very sober man, got up and sang songs and made speeches for
half an hour when no one was listening. At last the slaves cleared the
dining-room, and beds were made up there for several of the party. I
was afraid that the captain might begin to talk again in his sleep of
his early days, and accuse himself of being a pirate; and I was anxious
to warn him, lest anyone might be listening; but then, I thought to
myself, they are all so drunk no one will understand him, and he won't
like to be reminded by me of such things as that.

The night seemed to be passing quietly away. As I lay on a rug in the
corner of the room, I could hear the sound of some night-birds, or
frogs, or crickets, and the rustling of the wind among the
plantain-leaves, till I fell asleep. Before long, however, I started
up, and thought that the monkeys had begun their concert at an earlier
hour than usual. There were the most unearthly cries and shrieks
imaginable, which seemed to come from all sides of the house, both from
a distance and close at hand. For a moment all was silent, and then
they were repeated louder than before. Had not the company been heavy
with drink, they must have been awoke at once. As it was, the second
discharge of shrieks and cries roused them up, and in another minute
people came rushing into the dining-hall from different parts of the
house, their pale countenances showing the terror they felt. "What's
the matter? what's all this?" they exclaimed.

"That the negroes have come down from the hills