LAST YEARS 267 



quarter and fired a gun, coming up fast. 

 At twenty minutes past eleven fired a sec- 

 ond shot and hoisted a red flag with death's 

 head and a cross under it. Finding I had 

 a hard character to deal with I prepared 

 for him as well as I was able, and imme- 

 diately brailed up my top sails, hauled up 

 my courses, clewed down top gallant sails, 

 hauled down the jib, braced in the mizzen 

 top sail, and kept off two points. I then fired 

 a musket and hoisted colors. At 12 A. M. 

 she came alongside within two yards dis- 

 tance. Hailed with * God damn you, send 

 your boat aboard. I will murder all hands 

 of you.' He had not discovered our gun at 

 that time. I told him I would send her 

 directly. He gave me a whole volley of 

 musketry and blunderbusses before I had 

 answered him. Our gun was pointed and 

 cloth removed, and we commenced as 

 smart a fire as possible with one 24- 

 pound carronade, four muskets, and seven 

 pistols. At our first fire six of them were 

 seen to fall, among them the Captain or 



