1830.] The Demon Ship. 649 



this can last where we are going and whether in the end I can rescue 

 you, time must be the shewer. If we should put into some port of the 

 Levant, perhaps I may be able to pass you on shore in one of these 

 sacks ; but we are still on the Gibraltar side of Malta, and shall not see 

 land for a month only, for God's sake, keep quiet. I'd leave you a 

 light, but it would be dangerous. I doubt you'll be stifled alive. Yet 

 there's no help for it. Hide, hide I dare stay not one moment longer." 

 He rolled down a heap of biscuits, placed a pitcher of water by them, 

 and departed. 



Never will our first fearful night in that strange concealment be for- 

 gotten. The Demon crew held wild revelry over our head. Their 

 fierce and iniquitous speech, their lawless songs, their awful and demo- 

 niac oaths, their wild intoxication, made Margaret thrill with a horror 

 that half excited the wish to escape in death from the polluting vicinity 

 of such infernal abominations. The hold was so shallow that we ap- 

 peared close to the revellers. Their voices sounded so near that we 

 seemed almost among them, and our concealment a miracle ; while the 

 heat became so stifling and unbearable, that we could scarcely gasp, and 

 I began to fear that Margaret would expire in my arms. 



It was a strange reflection that we might, almost without the warning 

 of an instant, be in the hands of our brutal and unconscious gaolers ; 

 for our concealment afforded not even the slender defence of an inside 

 lock or bolt, and the carpet, which seemed to present a slight barrier 

 between us and the Demon hoard, had been rolled up, as no longer 

 necessary to give our late accommodations the peaceful appearance of a 

 cabin fitted up for passengers. The light streamed here and there 

 through a crevice in the trap-door, and I involuntarily trembled when 

 I saw it fall on the white garment of Margaret, as if, even in that con- 

 cealment, it might betray her. We dared scarcely whisper a word of 

 encouragement or consolation to each other dared scarcely breathe, or 

 stir even a hand from the comfortless attitude in which we were placed. 

 We could hear them speak occasionally of our murder, in a careless 

 and incidental manner. The captain expressed his regret that we had 

 not, as matters turned out, been earlier disposed of, and made a sort of 

 rough apology to his shipmates for the inconvenience our prolonged 

 existence must have occasioned them. 



At length the revellers broke up. I listened attentively until I 

 became convinced that no one occupied the cabin that night. I then 

 ventured gently to push up the trap-door a little, in order to give air 

 to my exhausted companion. But the fumes that entered were any 

 thing but reviving. All was dark and quiet as death, and I could hear 

 the rain descending violently on the cabin skylight. The wind was 

 high, and the ship rolled tremendously. We heard the roar of the 

 waters against the side of our prison, and the heavy dashing on deck 

 of huge billows, which even made their way down the cabin stairs. 



Towards morning, as I supposed, for with us it was all one long 

 night, I again distinguished voices in the cabin. " It blows a stiff gale," 

 was the observation of Jack. " So much the better," replied the hardy 

 and ferocious voice of the captain ; " the more way we make, the farther 

 we get from all those cursed government vessels. I think we might 

 now venture to fall on any merchantman that comes in our way. We 

 must soon do something, for we have as yet made but a sorry out of 

 our .present voyage. Let's see four thousand sterling pounds that 



M.M. New Series. VOL. X. No. 60. 4 N 



