THE TURTLER’S STORY. 139 
Hopiig his mind might take a useful turn, I 
again batned his temples, and washed his lijis 
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 heen 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 
