396 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT. 



At that moment the board on which he sat was 

 lifted, his fellow-rower threw himself against him 

 with all his force, and nearly succeeded in precipitat- 

 ing him into the stream. Hodges staggered, but 

 managed to regain his balance, and turning quickly 

 upon his treacherous neighbour, dealt him a blow 

 with his fist that knocked him overboard. 



" Buen viage d los infiernosf" cried the other 

 Mexicans with a burst of hellish laughter, hearing 

 the splash, but misapprehending its cause. 



" Go to hell yourself ! " shouted the Englishman, 

 grasping his oar, and dealing the man in front of 

 him a blow that stretched him by the side of the 

 negro. 



" Santa Virgen! who is that 1 " cried the two stern- 

 most pirates. 



" The Englishman ! " exclaimed one of them, press- 

 ing forward towards Hodges, but stumbling over 

 the men at the bottom of the boat, which now 

 rocked violently from the furious struggle going on 

 within it. 



" Ma ma ! " groaned the negro again, 



now seemingly in the death-agony. His eyes stood 

 out from their sockets, and glittered like stars in the 

 darkness ; his tongue hung from his mouth, swollen 

 and convulsed. 



" By the living God ! if you don't unfasten the 

 negro, I'll knock you all into the river." 



"Maldito Ingles/ Picaro gojo!" 



