Year: 1876

ing for distant seas, with that sicken.
ing horror upon my heart! There |
were blood stains upon the deck, in |
the cabin. and in the forecastle- |
how could remain in such q vessel
But no one knows what he can do un-
til 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 n lies an hour. The ignorant pi.
rates, whose operations had never |
brought them much to the n0rthward
OF Cuba. HAD no idea that the current
was thus bearing us along, while it
was upon this fact that I built almost
my only hope.


In high spirits at the success of their
enterprise, they laughed over their
gold, and were continually boasting of
the murders they had at one or anoth.
time committed. Bacalardo remarked
that he had probably sent more persons
into eternity than any other man liv-
ing and had little doubt of my be-
ing added to the list, whenever my
services should no longer. be required.


Three days were passed in this man.
ner; and in the meantime I had as
sured the Spaniards that it would be
madness to proceed on the South
American voyage without a further
supply of water. had at q favorable
opportunity, let out the contents of
two casks in the hold. At the end of
this time, the wind sprang up and i'll
was decided to enter an inlet which Il
described as upon a wild portion of
the southern coast, with which they
were entirely unacquainted, and there
obtain the needed supply.


Though it was the month of August,
the weather now, fortunately for my
purpose became tempestuous, with
squalls and heavy gales from the south
and west. We were obliged to short
en- sail, and sometimes to lie to; and
all the while ! managed to keep the
brig in tho 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 sus-
pect that this was the very thing I
could have wished-and two or three
times I wedged the compass so
that it could not play. l was afraid
they would discover that we were
making too much northing, and though
their ignorance of the lay of the coast
was most hopeful circumstance in
this connection, I dared not wholly
trust to it.


At last ran out of the Gulf Stream,
and, just after had taken an observa-
tion of the sun, which till then had
not shown itself for several days, leav-
ing me to be guided by the gulf weed
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. / was in latitude
thirty six, ten; longitude seventy four,
eight.


Our water casks were almost empty,
and the pirates who had all this time
supposed me to be beating and bang.
ing about to gain the southern inlet,
were very glad when I told them we
should reach the coast in a few hours.
And I-you cannot imagine my sensa-
tions. 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 villains
drawn their knives across my throat,
in Specification Of what would come
should play them false and now it
was success or death.


Headed west-north-west, the little
brig bounded along, and you may well
believe that watched every variation
Of the breeze, and the drawing of ev.
cry sail, as l have never watched be.
fore, over and over revolved previous
reckoning Yes, yesterday struck out
for the Gulf Stream last night head.
ed thus and thus to-day was sure of
my figures. 1t must be SOL have
made no mistake. Yet, how, if I can.
not manage at last! A single error, a
shadow of suspicion, and knife will
end ALL" Thus l mentally conversed
with myself.


Here and there were vessels sailing
upon various courses, but dared not |
approach, dared hardly look at them.


As evening approached, I saw the |
land. It would be dark ere we should |
reach it and thus far all went hope.
fully. Yet never had the blo0d.stains
upon the briggs deck looked more
hideous than now. Hope had in a !
measure broken the nightmare of hor.
ror, and more fully than before real.
lied the awfulness of the tragedy
which had been perpetrated.


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
cleaned light, and presently away off
the weather bow shone family anoth-
er. Oh, the anxiety at that moment
was right. There they were, the two
beautiful lights-yes, beautiful indeed
to me. But The hour. of greatest peril
was at hand and like adramatic author
who fears for his last act, studied
again and again the various contin.
gencies that might cross my plans, and
reveal my intentions to the murderous
Spaniards.


We passed between the lights, at a
considerable distance from both, and
many were the inquiries Of the pirates
as to our position. I told them that
we had few miles further to run,
when we should have reached the an
chorage at the watering. place. Dark
ness prevented them from seeing the|