n very difficult to distinguish the
officers from the men by their dress; and as far as Bates and Kemp could
ascertain, the whole of the former had been killed, they having fought
to the last, well knowing, should they be captured, a rope's-end and the
yard-arm would be their doom. The moment the last of the prisoners had
been secured, Bates anxiously inquired for Roger Willoughby, his mind
misgiving him lest he should have been killed. Some of his men answered
that the last they had seen of him was falling back into the boat.
Bates on this sprang down the side.

"Thank Heaven you won!--hurrah, hurrah!" exclaimed a voice; it was that
of Roger, who lay at the bottom, unable to move owing to his wound.

"I am thankful, my dear fellow, that you are alive; we must have you up
on deck and look to your hurts," said Bates.

"Let them be looked to here," said Roger. "I do not think they are very
bad. Lend me a hand-kerchief to bind up this scratch in my side, and
send a hand down here to place me in a more comfortable position than I
am in at present."

Bates, having attended to his friend, had to return on board, while he
sent a couple of men, who had been accustomed to look after the sick,
down to assist him. In the meantime the three other vessels had been
captured in succession by the boats of the squadron, Kemp having
assisted with his crew in overpowering them. The next question was the
possibility of carrying them out, as a proof to the merchants of Jamaica
that the pirate horde had been destroyed. The chief difficulty was to
effectually secure the prisoners. Old Kemp suggested that the shortest
way would be to hang them up at once, or shoot them, but to this Bates
would not agree.

"No, no; they are human beings, and it is our duty to give them time for
repentance," he answered. "We must carry them to Jamaica, and leave
them to be dealt with according to law."

They were therefore all brought on board the frigate and secured in the
hold, with a strong guard placed over them.

"Now," observed Kemp, "at all events we will burn down their storehouses
on shore, so that not a trace may be left of the pirates' stronghold."

Three of the boats, under the command of Charlie Ross, were accordingly
sent to effect this; and in a few minutes flames were seen bursting up
from various points along the shore, the buildings, owing to the
combustible materials which they contained, burning furiously: not one
remained s