and mortally wounded. With a shriek the poor
girl sprang overboard, clasped him in her arms, and they sank
together.

"Oh, woman, woman," said Aaron, "whatever may be the color of thy
skin, thy heart is always the same."

Soon all was still again; here and there a wounded negro still
struggled for a moment ere he sank into his watery grave. A few spars
from the ill-fated vessel, were yet tossed about on the surface of
the sea, whilst the blood-red rays of the setting sun poured a flood
of light over the bloody deck, shattered hull, and torn rigging of the
schooner, lighting up the faces of the dead with an unearthly glare.
At this moment some drops of rain fell from a passing cloud, like
tears from the pitying eyes of an angel, who, sailing through the
skies, had stopped for a moment in her flight to look down sorrowfully
on the scene of desolation which man, the worm of a day, had caused in
a moment of power and savage madness.

On a gun-carriage, close to me, sat Aaron, whilst the surgeon bound up
a cut in his neck. He looked solemnly at me for a moment, and then
pointing towards the brilliant luminary, which, as it sank beneath the
waves, lit up the western sky with a crimson and golden light, said:

"Remember this morning, captain, and thank the Almighty, who whilst
sending so many poor creatures to their final account, has in his
great mercy permitted us to see the end of this fearful day. Oh, thank
him, captain, that you have once more seen the sun set."

VI.

The wound in Bangs' neck, which had been made by a boarding pike, was
not deep, but still it was an ugly cut, and if, as he himself
expressed it, he had not been bull-necked, it would have gone hard
with him.

"Captain, my boy," said he, when the surgeon had finished dressing his
wound, "I'm pretty well patched up now, and feel as good as new,
except a little stiffness, but I'm very thankful I have such a strong
bundle of muscles, or some of the arteries would have been in danger.
Come, and get mended yourself now, and I will hold the light."

A calm had fallen on the sea, which rendered all work unnecessary at
present, and the cabin, which was again used as a cockpit, was filled
with poor fellows waiting to have their wounds dressed. When it came
to my turn I took off my clothes and seated myself on a tub. The
pistol bullet which had struck me, was sticking in the fleshy part of
my left shoulder, just below the skin, and made a small protuberanc