"`Am I to be disobeyed?' cried the captain as he gave another cut across the face of the unhappy man; and dragging the yet living body to a port, with his own hands hurled him overboard. "That murder cost him his influence over us; and I think even the worst of us would have been sick of him had he been destined much longer to command us; but the words of the murdered youth were soon to prove true. "You will scarcely believe it, sir, but not only were all the prisoners made to walk the plank, but Hallton--fearing that some of the others might attempt his life--murdered the rest of the schooner's crew who had entered with us, not excluding the two who had commenced their career by shooting their own shipmates. Well, sir, I shall soon have done with my history. After taking everything out of the brig, we scuttled her, nor did we leave her till we saw the waves close over her topgallant masts. We then did all we could to alter the appearance of the schooner, and shaped our course for Cuba. "We there passed some weeks, spending our ill-gotten wealth in every kind of debauchery and folly. We then refitted our craft and again went to sea. After taking and sinking several merchantmen, with all their crews on board, we returned to our former rendezvous; and this work continued for some time, till we fell in with the ship of war which captured us. "There, sir, I have given you a sketch of the greater part of my career, the rest you know; and I assure you, sir, that I have been far happier since I was taken than during any former time of my manhood. That one dreadful thought oppresses me, that I must meet Arnold and be carried in his cold embrace, down, down, down-- "Oh, save me from him--save me!" cried the pirate, hiding his face in his hands, and cowering down towards me, to escape from the vision which haunted his imagination. I remained with him for the greater part of that night; and, at length, quitted him more composed in mind and resigned to his fate than I could have expected. The next morning was to be his last; and at his particular request, I accompanied him to the fatal scaffold. A large crowd had assembled--blacks and whites, soldiers and sailors, to witness the execution of the noted pirates. With a firm step he walked from his prison to the foot of the gibbet, and mounted the steps. Resting a moment, he addressed the spectators, exhorting them to take example from his dreadful fate, and to avoid the evil courses which had, step by step, conducted him to it. At length the executioner warned him that his time was up. "I am ready," he answered, and was about to submit his neck to the fatal noose, when, starting back, he exclaimed in a voice of agony, "He is come! he is come! Oh, save me from him!--save me!" Before he could utter more, the drop was let fall, and all was soon over. The rest of the crew died making no sign.