his supposed death was very bitter. His mother
declared that the light had gone out of her life, and begged me never
to cease trying to find out when on my voyages whether he was alive or
not. The old lady said she feared the worst, but never ceased to pray
and hope that some day he would be brought back to them. A little over
a year had elapsed since the fateful night of his disappearance. I was
on my second voyage in the same vessel, but had been promoted to
boatswain. We had rounded Matapan with a snoring breeze on the port
beam. We had just opened the Gulf of Nauplia out when the look-out man
shouted, 'A vessel on the port bow!' She was carrying full sail, and
steering towards us. We soon discerned that she was on an unfriendly
errand, and that the intention was to try and board us. No one could be
seen about the decks except the helmsman and a man apparently on the
look out. If we altered our course she did the same; and whichever way
we went, her sailing qualities outmatched ours. The excitement had
grown to fever heat, as a great conflict was now imminent. Our men had
been supplied with muskets, and told to conceal themselves and use them
when the critical time came, and to make sure that every shot was
effectual. Two small cannon, which were fixtures on the taffrail, were
loaded ready to do service. At last she came within hailing distance of
our weather beam. A man shouted through a speaking-trumpet in mongrel
English to 'Heave to!' We did not heed this insolent command, but kept
going. In a few minutes more a peremptory command came through the
speaking-trumpet to 'Heave to, or we would be fired upon.'

"'Now's the time,' hissed our captain; 'we will do some damage to
ourselves, but, by God, we'll teach them to order an English ship to be
hove to! We must run right into his midships. I will give the order at
the proper moment. The thing must be done with the suddenness of fork
lightning. It is not the shooting so much as the sinking, and the panic
that must be created by the suddenness of our action. 'Hard down the
helm!' cried the captain. 'Let go your weather braces, and stand by to
use your muskets and bayonets too if any of them attempt to board us.'
In less than a minute the pirate schooner's doom was sealed. Our vessel
struck her with such force amidships that she sank almost immediately.
Instead of tacking their vessel, and getting out of our way, which they
might have done, they were encouraged to fight