139 



Hoping his mind might take a useful turn, I 

 again bathed his temples, and washed his lips 

 with spirits. His sunken eyes seemed to dart 

 fire at mine — a heavy and deep sigh swelled his 

 chest and struggled through his blood-choked 

 throat, as he asked me to raise him a little. I 

 did so, when he addressed me as follows : — 



" First tell me how many bodies you found 

 in the boat, and what sort of dresses they had 

 on." I mentioned their number and described 

 their apparel. " That's right," said he, they are 

 the bodies of the scoundrels who followed me 

 in that infernal Yankee barge. Bold rascals 

 they were. For when they found the water too 

 shallow for their craft, they took to it and waded 

 after me. All my companions had been shot, 

 and to lighten my own boat I flung them over- 

 board, but as I lost time in this, the two ruffians 

 caught hold of my gunwale, and struck on my 

 head and body in such a way that I was scarcely 

 able to move. The other villain carried off our 

 schooner and one of our boats, and perhaps ere 

 now have hung all my companions whom they 

 did not kill at the time. I always hated the Yan- 

 kees, and only regret that I did not kill more of 

 them. I sailed from Matanzas — I have often 

 been in concert with others. I have money 

 without counting, but it is buried where it will 

 never be found, and it would be useless to tell 



