ully expected to see a
number of men start up the moment we touched her side, and either send
our boat to the bottom with a cold shot, or seize us and carry us as
prisoners below. It was a satisfaction, however, to feel that, with the
shipwrecked crew, we had plenty of men on board to carry the ship home,
and to punish those who might injure us.

I must say that I felt rather curious as, giving way, we dashed
alongside the stranger, and Peter with his boat-hook catching hold of
the fore-chains, we, with our cutlasses in our mouths, scrambled on
board. No one appeared. A perfect silence reigned over the deck. Our
first business was to shorten sail, and round-to the ship. Mr Gale
flew to the helm, and put it down, while we flattened in the
topsail-braces, and clewed up top-gallant-sails, and brailed up the
courses, throwing the foretop-sail aback. As this work occupied all our
attention, we had no time to make any remarks as to the state of affairs
on deck. As I was running forward, my foot slipped in a wet mass and I
came to the deck. Jumping up again, I seized the rope at which I had
been ordered to haul. When the work was done, and the ship hove-to, I
looked at my hands. A cold shudder came over me: they were covered with
_blood_!

I gave a cry of horror and disgust. It attracted the attention of my
shipmates. We now looked along the deck. In several places were other
dark clotted marks scarcely yet dry. Other signs there were which
showed that plunder had been the object of the deadly attack, which, it
was evident, had been made on the crew of the brig. Articles of dress
were strewed about, and cases of provisions, nautical instruments, books
and charts, and opened bales of merchandise; but there were no signs of
a struggle--nothing to show that the hapless crew had even been enabled
to fight for their lives.

"What has been the matter aboard?" shouted Captain Helfrich, as the
_Rainbow_ passed close to us.

"Murder, sir! foul murder!--there can be no doubt of it," answered Mr
Gale, who was about to descend the companion-hatch. I with others
followed him.

What a scene of havoc, confusion, and wanton destruction the cabin
presented, as seen in the dim light which came down the companion-hatch,
for the covering of the skylight was on. There had evidently been a
fierce strife there. A mirror over the stove was broken to atoms--the
chairs were overturned--china-plates and cut-glasses lay scattered