"Well, boy," said he, "why do you come to me?" "You gave me my life; you're the greatest friend I have here, so I come to you. Can I do anything?" "Yes; you may assist in the cabin, if your white blood does not curdle at the idea of attending on a black man." "Not at all. I will do anything for them who are kind to me, as you have been." "And think it no disgrace?" "Not the least. Is it a disgrace to be grateful?" The reader will observe how particularly judicious my replies were, although but fifteen years old. My dangerous position had called forth the reflection and caution of manhood. "Go down into the cabin; you may amuse yourself till I come." I obeyed this order. The cabin was fitted up equal to most yachts, with Spanish mahogany and gold mouldings; a beaufet full of silver (there was no glass) occupied nearly one-half of it; even the plates and dishes were of the same material. Silver candelabras hung down from the middle of the beams; a variety of swords, pistols, and other weapons were fixed up against the bulkhead; a small bookcase, chiefly of Spanish books, occupied the after-bulkhead, and the portraits of several white females filled up the intervals; a large table in the centre, a stand full of charts, half a dozen boxes of cigars, and two most luxurious sofas, completed the furniture. A door from the starboard side led, I presumed, to the stateroom, where the captain slept; but I did not venture to open it. I surveyed all this magnificence, wondering who this personage could be; and more still, how it was that the whole of the crew were, as well as the captain, of the negro race. We had heard that the pirate we were in search of was a well-known character--a Spaniard--who went by the name of Chico, and that his crew consisted of Americans, English, and Spaniards. That this was the vessel, I knew, from the conversation of the men when I was below for they called her the Stella. Now, it appeared that the vessel had changed masters; the crew were chiefly Spanish negroes, or other negroes who spoke Spanish, but some of them spoke English, and a few words of Spanish; these, I presumed, were American or English runaways. But the captain--his language was as correct as my own; Spanish he spoke fluently, for I heard him giving orders in that language while I was in the cabin; neither was he flat-nosed, like the majority. Had he been white, his features would have been considered regular, although there was a fierceness about them at times which was terrible to look at. "Well," thought I, "if I live and do well, I shall know more about it; yes, if I live, I wish I was on the quarterdeck of the Calliope, even as Tommy was with his pockets stuffed full of the purser's raisins, and looking like a fool and a rogue at the same time." I had been down in the cabin about half an hour, when the negro captain made his appearance. "Well," said he, "I suppose you would as soon see the devil as me--eh, boy?"