lf the crew cut down, that the rest surrendered.

"On board the _Alert_ we had fully one-third of our complement killed
or wounded. Mr. Jones had been shot through the head; the second and
third lieutenants were both badly wounded, and the captain himself had
had his jaw broken by a pistol fired in his face. I got this scar on
my cheek, which spoiled my beauty for the rest of my life, but as I
had been over thirty years married to the old woman that made but
little difference. Never were a crew more glorious than we were that
night. Even the wounded felt that the victory had been cheaply
purchased. We had captured the scourge of these seas, which had for
ten years laughed at all the fastest cruisers of our navy, and we felt
as proud as if we had captured a French first-rate.

"All hands were at work next day in repairing damages. I was up aloft
seeing to the fitting of fresh gear to the topgallant-mast when I saw
something floating at sea which took my attention. It seemed to me
like a box, and an empty one, for it floated high on the water. Its
lid seemed to be open, and I thought once or twice that I saw
something inside. I slid down to the quarter-deck and reported what I
had seen. The third lieutenant, who was doing duty with his arm in a
sling, was not disposed to take the men off their work to lower a
boat; but as I pointed out that the box might have belonged to the
merchantman which had been burned overnight, and that it might afford
some clew as to the name of the ship, he consented, and with four
hands I was soon rowing towards the box.

"I don't know what I had expected to see, but I was never more
surprised than when, getting there, I found that it was a trunk, and
that in it, sitting up, was a child about eighteen months old. That
was you, Harry. In the bottom of the trunk were a locket with a
woman's likeness in it, a curious Indian bangle, and a few other
articles of jewelry. How you got there we never knew, but the
supposition was that when the pirate was overhauling the merchantman,
and her true nature was ascertained, some mother, knowing the fate
that awaited all on board, had put you in an open trunk, had thrown in
what ornaments she had about her, and had dropped the trunk overboard,
in hopes that it might drift away and be picked up by some passing
ship. It was a wild venture, with a thousand to one against its
success, but the Lord had watched over it, and there you were as snug
and comfortable