nd that port. Our
vessels are consigned to Messrs. Fairbrother and Wilcocks, of James
Town, and on my arrival I will soon prove that to you; and also not
only make you surrender the property you have robbed us of, but I will
make you smart pretty handsomely for your treatment of us, that you
may depend upon."

"Fairbrother and Wilcocks," muttered he; "confound the fellow. Oh,"
said he, turning to me, "you got the name of that firm from some ship
you have plundered and sunk, I suppose. No, no, that won't do, old
birds are not to be caught with chaff."

"I believe you to have been a pirate yourself, if you are not one
now," replied I; "at all events you are a thief and a paltry
villain--but our time will come."

"Yes, it will," said the captain of the xebeque, "and remember, you
scoundrel, if you can escape and buy off justice, you shall not escape
seven Portuguese knives, mind you that."

"No, no," cried the Portuguese sailors; "stop till we are on shore,
and then come on shore if you dare."

"I say, father," said young Hopeful, "this looks like mischief; better
hang them, I reckon, than to be stuck like pigs. They look as if
they'd do it, don't they?"

I shall never forget the diabolical expression of the captain of the
brig after the Portuguese sailors had done speaking. He had a pistol
at his belt, which he drew out.

"That's right, shoot 'em, father; dead men tell no tales, as you have
always said."

"No, no," said the seaman who was on guard, motioning them back with
his cutlass, "there will be no shooting nor hanging either; we are all
sworn to that. If so be they be pirates, there's the law of the
country to condemn them; and if they be not pirates, why then that's
another story."

The captain looked at the seaman as if he could have shot him if he
dared. Then turned round hastily and went back to the cabin, followed
by his worthy offspring.

For seven days we remained in irons, when we heard land announced by
the sailors on deck, and the brig's head was put towards it. At night
she was hove to, and the next morning again stood in, and we perceived
that we were in smooth water. Towards night the anchor was let go, and
we asked the guard if we had arrived at James Town.

He replied, "No, but we were in a river on the coast, but he did not
know what river it was nor did any of the crew, nor could they tell
why the captain had anchored there. But they had seen several canoes
with Indians cross the riv