d some of the
officers probably, were below at supper. The watch on deck must have
instantly been overpowered before those below had time to come to their
assistance. Some, probably hearing a scuffle, and coming on deck, were
instantly slaughtered, or, it might have been, secured and carried off
all prisoners. The people in the cabin could not even have been aware
of what was going forward, and the first announcement of the misfortune
which had befallen them, was the appearance of the pirates rushing into
the cabin. Rising from the table, they had seized whatever weapons came
nearest to hand to defend themselves. Desperately they might have
fought, but all in vain. One clearly had been dragged from bed, holding
fast to the clothes. Most likely the unfortunate lady had been so
treated, and deprived of life on the body of her husband.

Mr Gale's opinion was, that the captain's head was not among those in
the cabin; but that, on first hearing the scuffle, he had sprung on
deck, as being nearest the door, to ascertain its cause. This opinion
was afterwards confirmed by the discoveries we made. As soon as they
had been overpowered, their heads must have been cut off, perhaps to
make the rest show where any valuables they might possess were
concealed. However performed, at all events the butchery was complete.
Never, indeed, have my eyes beheld a scene of greater horror. Death
alone, we know, may bring peace and joy; but death under such outrageous
aspects as those I have described, affrights the soul.

While some of the men went forward to ascertain the state of matters in
the forepeak, Mr Gale kept Peter and me to look after the ship's
papers. We hunted about in a number of places for some time without
avail. At last I went into what I concluded to be the master's cabin,
and in a tin case, under his pillow, I found them. I took them to Mr
Gale, who glanced over them.

"The _Dolphin_, the vessel is called," he observed. "Ah, and here's a
name I think I remember,--Walter Stenning, master. Why, Poplar, is not
that the name of the young man we picked up at sea a few voyages back to
the West Indies?"

"Yes, sir; the very same," answered Peter. "I've had notice of him
since then, and I heard say that he had become master and owner of a
fine craft, and gone with his wife and family to live out in one of the
colonies; I don't know which."

"Halifax, Nova Scotia, the brig hails from, I see. She was bound from