e them. But,
come my lads, be smart; we have no time to lose; put all these fellows
on board our little hooker; and then we'll see what's to be done below.'
We were all immediately forced into the boat, and rowed on board the
brig, where some of us were put in irons, and others lashed to ringbolts
on the deck. The boat then returned, and the work of plunder commenced;
and for some hours the pirate crew were busily employed in transferring
to the brig all the valuables they could lay their hands upon on board
the Delight. When they had taken everything available, they scuttled the
ship, and left her, and obliged us, with many taunts and blows, to watch
for the catastrophe. It was a heartrending sight to us all to see our
gallant little ship gradually settling in the water, rolling deep and
uneasily, till at last, after a heavy lurch, she dipped her bulwarks low
into the water, and, struggling in vain to recover herself, sank to rise
no more. A groan of horror burst from us all; we felt as if our last
connecting link with humanity was broken; we were left powerless in the
hands of monsters in human form, but with the spirit of demons. Alas!
our fears were but too well verified: that very evening two of our poor
shipmates, after having been tormented in the most savage manner, were
blindfolded, and compelled to walk out upon a plank launched from the
gangway, from the end of which they fell into the sea, shrieking with
horror as they fell. As their bodies plunged heavily into the smooth
water, the captain turned to us with a savage sneer, and said--

"'They were too well fed by half; when it comes to your turn, you won't
make such a disturbance amongst the fishes.'

"But why need I dwell longer upon these horrors? For five succeeding
days, the same murderous scene was enacted; we were fed on bread and
water, and tormented in every way that cruelty could suggest, and then
had the horror of witnessing the death of our companions, and of
anticipating the same cruel fate for ourselves. At last the mate and I
were the only survivors, and we were brought to the gangway, to mount
the same fatal plank which had been the instrument of death to our
unfortunate shipmates. Our eyes were blindfolded, and, weak and
exhausted as we were, we looked forward to death as an easy and happy
release from our miseries. We bade each other farewell.

"'Our murderers allow us one blessing, Rogers,' said I--'to die
together.'

"That remark saved