1830.] The Demon Skip. 653 



mined to give his vessel the advantage of awaiting the foe in an impos- 

 ing state of preparation for action. He harangued his men in terms 

 calculated to arouse their brute courage, and excite their cupidity. I 

 confess I now almost began to tremble for the gallant little vessel, whose 

 crew seemed thus bravely pressing on to their own destruction ; I began 

 to fear that they would be powerless to rescue her in whose life my own 

 seemed bound up. But what were my feelings when I heard the cap- 

 tain retire to that part of the vessel which had been the countess's cabin, 

 and there take a solemn and secret oath of his principal shipmates, that 

 they would, if they were boarded by a successful enemy, scuttle the 

 Demon, and sink her, and her crew, and her captors, in one common 

 grave. It appeared, then, that either the failure, or the success of the 

 sloop, would alike seal our destruction. 



Not a ray of light now penetrated through the chinks of the trap-door, 

 and from the heavy weights which had fallen over it, I was inclined to 

 think that shot, or even cannon-balls, had been placed over the mouth 

 of our prison. We might, therefore, in vain attempt to shew ourselves, 

 or make our voices heard amid the din of war, should our allies (doomed 

 to a watery tomb even in the midst of conquest) prove victorious. Yet 

 condemned, as we seemed, alike by the fall or the triumph of our self- 

 supposed murderers, there was something in the oath imposed by the 

 captain which, as it shewed a feeling of doubt as to the result, inspired 

 me with hope. Besides, the noise of preparation for action had in it 

 something inspiriting to my ear ; and as it effectually drowned every 

 other sound, I drew Margaret from behind the sacking into the most 

 roomy part of our wooden dungeon ; endeavoured, by fanning her with 

 her kerchief, to create a little freshness of air around her ' and spoke to 

 her aloud, in the voice of hope and courage. It was a terrible thing, in 

 such an anxious moment, to be unable to see or hear distinctly aught on 

 which our fate depended. I listened anxiously for a signal of the sloop's 

 nearing us. At length a ship-trumpet, at a distance, demanded, safe and 

 unhurt, the persons of Colonel Francillon, the Countess of Falcondale, 

 and two female domestics. It was then evident that the pirate's strata- 

 gem at Malta had transpired. The Demon's trumpet made brief and 

 audacious reply : " Go seek them at the bottom of the sea." A broad- 

 side from the sloop answered this impudent injunction, and was followed 

 by a compliment in kind from the Demon, evidently discharged from a 

 greater number of guns. The volleys continued. Our vessel reeled to 

 and fro, and sometimes half rose out of the water with the violence of 

 the shocks she received. I heard her masts cracking, and her timbers 

 flying in every direction. Yet still her men continued their yell of 

 triumph, and her guns seemed to be served with as much spirit as ever. 

 At length the firing on both sides appeared to slacken. One of the ves- 

 sels was evidently approaching the other for the purpose of boarding. 

 But which was the successful adventurer ? My heart almost ceased to 

 beat with intense expectation. The heavy grinding of the two ships 

 against each others' sides was soon heard ; and, not an instant after, the 

 shouts of the sloop's crew rose triumphantly over our heads. Long and 

 desperately raged the combat above us ; but the pirates' yell waxed 

 fainter and fainter ; while the victorious shouts of the British seamen, 

 mixed with the frequent and fearful cry, " No quarter, no quarter to the 

 robbers !" became each instant louder and more triumphant. At length 

 every sound of opposition from the Demon crew seemed almost to cease. 



