But the clouds by this time broke away, and the mild moon shone clear
and bright once more upon this scene of most atrocious villainy. By her
light the cutter's people could see that there was no one struggling in
the water now, and that the people must either have been saved, or were
past all earthly aid; but the infamous deception was not entirely at an
end.

The captain of the cutter, seeing we were making sail, did the same, and
after having shot ahead of us, hailed once more.

"Mr. Walcolm, why don't you run to leeward, and heave-to, sir?"

"Answer him instantly, and hail again for another boat," said the sable
fiend, and cocked his pistol.

The click went to my heart. The young midship-man turned his pale mild
countenance, laced with his blood, upwards towards the moon and stars,
as one who had looked his last look on earth; the large tears were
flowing down his cheeks, and mingling with the crimson streaks, and a
flood of silver light fell on the fine features of the poor boy, as he
said firmly, "Never." The miscreant fired, and he fell dead.

"Up with the helm, and wear across her stern." The order was obeyed.
"Fire!" The whole broadside was poured in, and we could hear the shot
rattle and tear along the cutter's deck, and the shrieks and groans of
the wounded, while the white splinters glanced away in all directions.

We now ranged alongside, and close action commenced, and never do I
expect to see such an infernal scene again. Up to this moment there had
been neither confusion nor noise on board the pirate--all had been
coolness and order; but when the yards locked the crew broke loose from
all control--they ceased to be men--they were demons, for they threw
their own dead and wounded, as they were mown down like grass by the
cutter's grape, indiscriminately down the hatchways to get clear of
them. They had stripped themselves almost naked; and although they
fought with the most desperate courage, yelling and cursing, each in his
own tongue, most hideously, yet their very numbers, pent up in a small
vessel, were against them. At length, amidst the fire and smoke and
hellish uproar, we could see that the deck had become a very shambles;
and unless they soon carried the cutter by boarding, it was clear that
the coolness and discipline of my own glorious service must prevail,
even against such fearful odds; the superior size of the vessel,
greater number of guns, and heavier metal. The pirates seemed aware o