t they well near strangled him by that time
he was brought unto us.

By examining him, we found all that to be true, which our spy had
reported to us, and that he was a soldier entertained with others by the
Treasurer, for guard and conduct of this treasure, from Venta Cruz to
Nombre de Dios.

This soldier having learned who our Captain was, took courage, and was
bold to make two requests unto him. The one that "He would command his
Cimaroons which hated the Spaniards, especially the soldiers extremely,
to spare his life; which he doubted not but they would do at his
charge." The other was, that "seeing he was a soldier, and assured him,
that they should have that night more gold, besides jewels, and pearls
of great price, then all they could carry (if not, then he was to be
dealt with how they would); but if they all found it so, then it might
please our Captain to give unto him, as much as might suffice for him
and his mistress to live upon, as he had heard our Captain had done to
divers others: for which he would make his name as famous as any of them
which had received like favour."

Being at the place appointed, our Captain with half his men [8 English
and 15 Cimaroons], lay on one side of the way, about fifty paces off in
the long grass; JOHN OXNAM with the Captain of the Cimaroons, and the
other half, lay on the other side of the way, at the like distance: but
so far behind, that as occasion served, the former company might take
the foremost mules by the heads, and the hindmost because the mules tied
together, are always driven one after another; and especially that if we
should have need to use our weapons that night, we might be sure not to
endamage our fellows. We had not lain thus in ambush much above an hour,
but we heard the _Recuas_ coming both from the city to Venta Cruz, and
from Venta Cruz to the city, which hath a very common and great trade,
when the fleets are there. We heard them by reason they delight much to
have deep-sounding bells, which, in a still night, are heard very far
off.

Now though there were as great charge given as might be, that none of
our men should shew or stir themselves, but let all that came from Venta
Cruz to pass quietly; yea, their _Recuas_ also, because we knew that
they brought nothing but merchandise from thence: yet one of our men,
called ROBERT PIKE, haven drunken too much _aqua vitae_ without water,
forgot himself, and enticing a Cimaroon forth with him was gone h