th the best of them; but I took good care never to be in the front
line, and the others were too busy with their bloody doings to notice
what share I took in them.

"We had been out about a fortnight on my third voyage, and the schooner
and brig were lying in a little bay when we saw what we took to be a
large merchant ship coming along. She was all painted black, her rigging
was badly set up, her sails were dirty and some of them patched, she
was steering east, and seemed as if she was homeward bound after a long
voyage. Off we went in pursuit, thinking we had got a prize. She clapped
on more sail, but we came up to her hand over hand. She opened fire with
two eight pounders over her stern. We didn't waste a shot in reply, but
ranged up alongside, one on each beam. Then suddenly her sides seemed to
open, fifteen ports on each side went up, and her deck swarmed with men.

"A yell of dismay went up from the schooner which I was on. In a moment
a flash of fire ran along the frigate's broadside; there was a crash of
timber, and the schooner shook as if she had struck on a rock. There was
a cry, 'We are sinking!' Some made a wild rush for the boats, others in
their despair jumped overboard, some cursed and swore like madmen
and shook their fists at the frigate. It seemed no time when another
broadside came.

"Down came the foremast, crushing half a dozen men as she fell. Her deck
was nearly level with the water now. I climbed over the wreck of the
foremast, and run out along the bowsprit. I looked round just as I
leaped. The pirate captain was standing at the wheel. He had a pistol
to his head, and I saw the flash, and he fell. Then I dived off and swam
under water as hard as I could to get away from the sinking ship. When I
came up I looked round. I just saw the flutter of a black flag above the
water and she was gone. I was a good swimmer, and got rid of my shoes
and jacket, and made up my mind for a long swim, for the frigate was too
busy with the brig for any one to pay attention to us, but it did not
take long to finish it.

"In five minutes it was over. The brig lay dismasted, and scarce a dozen
men out of the forty she carried were alive to throw down their arms
on deck and cry that they surrendered. Then the frigate's boats were
lowered; two rowed in our direction, while two put off to the brig.
There were only nine of us picked up, for from the first broadside till
we sank a heavy musketry fire had been poured d