s of the pirates echoed far over the waves as they
boldly steered toward the open sea, and that very day they met two
well-armed sloops coming from the island of Defrada.

The buccaneers were thirsting for carnage. After a stubborn defence they
captured both vessels, from which they took only the guns and provisions
and then sunk them.

Again they sailed to and fro for several days without encountering any
craft. Their provisions ran out and, just as they had divided the last
portion of water, they saw on the horizon a Bristol vessel. The sloop
instantly gave chase. The other tried to escape and the pirates pursued
all day, crowding so much sail upon the sloop that she often buried her
deck in the waves. Towards evening the clumsy ship, finding escape
impossible, yielded without resistance.

The pirates were infuriated by the long pursuit, and the faces of many
plainly revealed their desire to cool their vengeance by giving their
captives a sea-bath.

Barthelemy climbed on deck, where the crew awaited him with uncovered
heads.

"Where is your captain?" he shouted.

The worthy man, who was by no means desirous of renown, had gone below
to his cabin, from which he was dragged and brought before Barthelemy,
to whom he knelt.

"Stand up, don't kneel. Lift him, that he may stand erect."

Two pirates were obliged to drag the captain from his knees by main
force, but when he perceived that he would not be allowed to kneel on
deck, he lifted up his feet and knelt in the air, a comical sight which
turned the pirates' rage into laughter.

"What is your ship's cargo?" asked Barthelemy.

The captain earnestly begged to be released, protesting that he could
not speak while he was held in such a way, and then, trembling
violently, said that his vessel was loaded with Spanish wine.

"That word saves you," returned Barthelemy, as the pirates exultingly
flung the captain into the air like a ball, and then ran down to the
hold whence they speedily rolled up two or three iron-bound casks. The
poor captain, sighing heavily, answered in reply to the buccaneers'
query concerning the name of his wine, "Malaga."

The terrified man kept glancing anxiously toward one of the partitions
in the ship, and the pirates, noticing his fear, broke down the door,
behind which was carefully hidden a supply of the finest brain sausages,
which they brought out hung around their necks like strings of beads.

This captain was a great gourmand,