-Alabama--why, that's a State,' and then
was sternly told to get his papers. We were ordered to put the crew in
irons, and they, too, seemed utterly dumbfounded; and one poor fellow
said to me, 'Must I lose all my clothes?' I answered, 'Yes,' but
advised him to put on all he could, and if he had any money to slip it
in his boot. 'Money! I h'aint seen a dollar for three years; but I'm
obliged to ye all the same.'"

Then, after searching the vessel for valuables, the captives were
taken back to the "Alabama," while one boat's-crew remained behind to
fire the vessel.

"She was loaded with oil," writes sailor Haywood; "and, when it
caught, a high column of dense black smoke poured out of the
hatchways, and spread in vast involutions to the leeward. Soon the red
forked flames began to climb her masts, and her spars glowed with
light; with a crash her mainmast fell, carrying the foremast with it,
and sending a shower of sparks high in the air; her stout sides seemed
to burst open; and what was a stately ship was now a blackened hulk,
the rising sea breaking in white-caps over it, and at last, with a
surge and wallow, sinking out of sight." Alone, by one of the
lee-ports, the ruined American captain stood, looking sadly upon the
end of all his long four years' labor. For this he had borne the icy
hardships of the Arctic seas. The long, dreary four years of
separation from wife and home had been lightened by the thought, that
by a prosperous voyage he might bring home enough money to stay always
in the little shingled cottage in the narrow street of some New
England fishing-village; but now all that was over. When he should
arrive home he would be penniless, with nothing but the clothes on his
back, and all because of a war of the very existence of which he knew
nothing. It was hard to bear, but war brings nothing but affliction.

After this capture, the "Alabama" had a lively season for several
weeks, capturing often two or three vessels a day. Generally they met
with no resistance; but occasionally the blood of some old sea-dog
would boil, and he would do the best in his power to injure his
captors. A story of one such incident was thus told by one of the
"Alabama's" crew:--

[Illustration: Looting a Prize.]

"When we ran around in search of whalers, we came upon a Yankee
skipper who didn't know what surrender meant. We were just well to the
west of the stormy cape, when one morning after breakfast we raised a
whaler.