nce
Captain Morgan immediately ordered all their plunder to be carried
aboard; and withal, he told the Spaniards, that the very next day they
should pay their ransoms, for he would not wait a moment longer, but
reduce the whole town to ashes, if they failed of the sum he demanded.

[Illustration: "'BEING COME TO THE PLACE OF DUEL, THE ENGLISHMAN STABBED
THE FRENCHMAN IN THE BACK'"--_Page 121_]

With this intimation, Captain Morgan made no mention to the Spaniards of
the letters he had intercepted. They answered, "that it was impossible
for them to give such a sum of money in so short a space of time, seeing
their fellow-townsmen were not to be found in all the country
thereabouts." Captain Morgan knew full well their intentions, but
thought it not convenient to stay there any longer, demanding of them
only five hundred oxen or cows, with sufficient salt to powder them,
with this condition, that they should carry them on board his ships.
Thus he departed with all his men, taking with him only six of the
principal prisoners as pledges. Next day the Spaniards brought the
cattle and salt to the ships, and required the prisoners; but Captain
Morgan refused to deliver them, till they had helped his men to kill and
salt the beeves: this was performed in great haste, he not caring to
stay there any longer, lest he should be surprised by the forces that
were gathering against him; and having received all on board his
vessels, he set at liberty the hostages. Meanwhile there happened some
dissensions between the English and the French: the occasion was as
follows: A Frenchman being employed in killing and salting the beeves,
an English pirate took away the marrow-bones he had taken out of the ox,
which these people esteem much; hereupon they challenged one another:
being come to the place of duel, the Englishman stabbed the Frenchman in
the back, whereby he fell down dead. The other Frenchmen, desirous of
revenge, made an insurrection against the English; but Captain Morgan
soon appeased them, by putting the criminal in chains to be carried to
Jamaica, promising he would see justice done upon him; for though he
might challenge his adversary, yet it was not lawful to kill him
treacherously, as he did.

All things being ready, and on board, and the prisoners set at liberty,
they sailed thence to a certain island, where Captain Morgan intended to
make a dividend of what they had purchased in that voyage; where being
arrived, they