re
far enough away from the vessel not to be seen, they dropped musket and
all overboard, leaving me only a very little provision, saying that they
did not wish me to die too soon. Then, after landing me, they returned,
the ship disappeared, and I have seen no sail but yours since they left
me here two months ago. That, gentlemen, is my story. To help you hunt
down that bloody pirate, however, I will tell you that he intended
sailing up through the bays of Honduras and Guatemala, and through the
Yucatan channel into the Gulf of Mexico, to cruise there for merchantmen
sailing to and from Vera Cruz and the other ports. And it is there that
you will find him, sirs. Chase him; run him down; take him, at all
costs, and hang him and his crew from his own yard-arm, and burn his
ship; so shall you exterminate one of the most cruel, ferocious,
bloodthirsty devils who ever sailed the sea, and avenge me, sirs. For I
shall soon die; the hardship and exposure that I have suffered here have
killed me! But now that I have told you my story, I can die
comfortably, for I have only lived to impart my information to someone
else, and so help them to hunt that man down. But see, the dawn is
breaking!"

The other three had been so intensely interested in the outcast's tale
that the time had passed unnoticed, and the first streaks of dawn were
indeed in the sky. Moreover, the wind had dropped, the rain had ceased,
and the sea was going down. The unfortunate ex-pirate seemed exhausted
by the long recital of his experiences, and looked very weak. Presently
he laid himself down on the sand under his shelter, and fell fast asleep
through sheer fatigue. The others went outside and took a survey of the
beach, and were lucky enough to be able to collect quite a respectable
quantity of wreckage, together with several casks of provisions. And
they could see several more being gradually washed in, so they were in
no danger of starvation, at all events for the present. They at once
began to roll up the casks to the shelter, promising themselves a good
meal before beginning the work of collecting all on which they could lay
their hands. They resolved to collect all that they could, for it was
impossible to be sure as to when the three vessels of Cavendish's fleet
would return; they knew that there were too many vicissitudes in a
sailor's life to permit of their absolutely depending upon anything, and
they therefore resolved to make every