ns out to be a regular pirate. As they ranged up
alongside of us they poured in a whole broadside of grape that knocked
you over, and killed five outright, woundin' six more, includin'
yourself, after which of course they had no difficulty in takin' the
schooner. Then they clapped lashin's on those of us that I s'pose they
thought well enough to give 'em any trouble; and now they're
transferrin' the poor unfortunate slaves, with the water and provisions
for 'em, from our ship to their own. What they'll do after that the
Lord only knows, but I expect it'll be some murderin' trick or another;
they're a cut-throat-lookin' lot enough in all conscience!"

Yes; I remembered everything now; the carpenter's statement aided my
struggling memory and enabled me to recall all that had happened up to
the moment of my being struck down by a grape-shot. But what a terrible
disaster was this that had befallen us--five killed and six wounded out
of our little party of fifteen! And, in addition to that, we were in
the power of a band of ruthless ruffians who were quite capable of
throwing the quick and the dead alike over the side when they could find
time to attend to us!

"Who are killed, Simpson?" I asked.

"Hush, sir! better not talk any more just now," murmured the carpenter.
"If these chaps got the notion into their heads that you was alive, as
like as not they'd put a bullet through your skull. They'll soon be
finished with their job now, and then we shall see what sort of fate
they're going to serve out to us."

I dared not look up nor move my head in any way, to see what was going
on, but by listening I presently became aware that the last of the
slaves had passed over the side, and that the pirates were now
transferring the casks of water and the sacks of meal from our ship to
their own, which--the water being perfectly smooth--they had lashed
alongside the schooner, with a few fenders between the two hulls to
prevent damage by the grinding of them together as they rose and fell
upon the long scarcely perceptible undulations of the swell. About a
quarter of an hour later the rumbling of the rolling water-casks and the
loud scraping sound of the meal-sacks on the deck ceased; there was a
pause of a minute or so, and then I heard a voice say in Spanish:

"The last of the meal and the water has gone over the rail, senor
capitan. Is there anything else?"

"No," was the answer, in the same language; "you may all go ba