Year: 1871

crowding into the cabin the pirates at once despatched their victims, and passed the bodies out of the windows. -5sr

 "And now, my boy" continued the mar rator, addressing himself more directly to me, "I was alone-a thousand times worse than alone. You feel the pitching of this old brig, and hear the sails slat and the yards creak, and all is strange to you, and you have felt unhappy; but you are with friends-rough ones. it is true-and some day yon may think how happy you ought to have been in the Andromanche

 The captains eyes were moist. and re- suming his story he oontinued,-

 ''The pirates divided the money-about ten thousand dollars; and they then in formed me that l must navigate the vessel to South America. They were all sailors. and the brig being easily handled, the task would not be very difficult. But to think of heading for distant seas, with that sickening horror upon my heart! There were blood stains upon the deck, in the cabin, and in the fore-castle-and how could remain in such a vessel? But no one knows what he can do until suffering has taught him.

 "We were now becalmed, and with the full strength of the Gulf Stream were drifting northerly at the rate of four miles an hour. The ignorant pirates, whose operations had never brought them much to the northward of Cuba, had no idea that the current was thus bearing us along, while it was upon this fact that I built al- most my only hope.

 ''In high spirits at the success of their enterprise, they laughed over their gold, and were continually boasting of the mur- ders they yAad at one time or another com mitted. Bacalardo remarked that he had probably sent more persons into eternity than any other man living; and I had little doubt of being added to the list whenever my services should be no longer required.

 ''Three days were passed in this manner, and in the meantime I had assured the Spaniards that 1t would be madness to pro. ceed on the South American voyage with out further supply of water. I had, at a favorable opportunity, let out the contents of two casks in the hold. At the end of this time, the wind sprang up, and it was decided to enter an inlet which described as upon a wild portion of the southern coast. and there obtain the needed supply.

 Though in the month of August the weather now. fortunately for my purpose, became tempestuous, with squalls and

  were obliged to shorten sail, and sometimes to lie to, and all the while managed to keep the brig in the Gulf Stream, so that even while lying with her head to the west ward, she had a strong northerly drift

 The pirates kept me almost all the time at the helm-I dared not let them suspect that this was the very thing I could have wished-and two or three times I wedged the compass so that 1t could not play. 1 was afraid they would discover that we were making too much northing, and though their ignorance of the lay of the coast was Q hopeful circumstance in this I dared not wholly trust to it.

 "At last ran out of the Gulf Stream and just after l had taken an observation of the sun, which till then had not shown itself for several days, leaving me to be guided by the gulf wind and the waters temperature-the wind came out north east, piping in right good earnest. My heart beat quickly, for the quadrant had shown me that my hour had come. I was in latitude thirty ten, longitude seventy four, eight.

 "Our water casks were almost empty, and the pirates, who had all this time sup posed me to be beating and banging about to gain the southern inlet, were very glad when I told them we would reach the coast in a few hours. And I-you cannot i'm agine my sensations. Oh, if the wind should die out-if it should head us off if morning should dawn, and my plan be only half accomplished! Often had the williams drawn their knives across my throat, in signifcation of what would come should play them false; and now it was success or death.

 ,'sHeaded west-north- west. the little brig bounded along, and you may well believe that watched every variation of the breeze, and the drawing of every sail, as l had never watched before. Over and oyer I revolved my previous reckoning-'Yes last night I headed thus and thus; to day I Was sure of my figures. It must be so-I| have made no mistake Yet how, if I can not manage at last? A single error, shad- ow of suspicion, and knife will end all. Thus conversed with myself.

 "Here and there were vessels sailing up- on various courses, but l dared not ap. proach, dared hardly look at them. An, my lad, I was alone! When you go upon deck in this old brig Andromache, bless your stars that there are men about you, not devils!

 'As evening approached, l saw land. It would be dark ere we should reach it, and thus far all went hopefully. Yet never had the blood stains upon the brig's deck look ed more hideous than now. Hope had in a measure broken the nightmare of hor TOT, and more fully than before l realized the awfulness of the tragedy.

 Strongly the north easter piped-it would not fail me now-and the clouds were thick, and the night would be very dark. Then upon the lee bow gleamed a light. and presently away off the weather bow shone faintly another. Oh, the anxi- ety of that moment I was right. There they were, the two beautiful Eghts-yes, beautiful indeed to me. But the hour of greatest peril was at hand, and, like an author who fears his last act, studied again and again the various contingencies that might cross my plans.

 eve passed between the lights, at con siderable distance from both, and many were the inquiries of the pirates as to our position. told them that we. had g few miles further to run. when we should have reached the anchorage at the watering place. Darkness prevented them from seeing the land, and they had not the most distant idea of their surroundings. The lights they imagined to be upon two islands-at least they took my word for it. "On and on flew the Isabel; and if &kovH