"About eight or nine months, during which time I have spared none except you. The usual death is drowning; but if I fall in with a slaver, then--you know what took place yesterday." I was silent for a time. "I do not wonder," said I, at last, "at your hatred of the whites, especially of the Americans. As for your wreaking your vengeance upon those employed in the slave trade, dreadful as it is, I scarcely pity them; but in your general warfare against the whites, recollect that you may murder those who are your friends, and who have done all they can to put an end to slavery. Even in America, there are many who are opposed to it." "It is impossible to make a distinction," replied the negro. "What is your name?" said I, musing. "Why do you ask? You may as well know; I wish it to be known: it is James Vincent." "But tell me, if you were to meet with a very superior force, what would you do?" "Run if I could; if not, fight." "But you might be captured, and then--" "Never, boy; never." "Well," said I, "as you have begun by sparing me, I hope you will spare others now." "I don't know why I spared you. Had you shown any fear of death I should not have done so; but I felt that you would not care about it. I believe it was that." About ten days after, we made the east end of the island of Cuba, and ran into the Bay of Rendezvous, as it was named by the pirate. It was very small, but completely land-locked, and the land so high on every side that the masts of the vessel could not be seen from the seaward. The bay on the land side was met by a deep, narrow ravine, between mountains which were almost perpendicular, the ravine itself being accessible from the main land by only one narrow path known to the pirates, and which they seldom made use of, except when a spy was sent to the Havannah to ascertain what vessels were about to sail. On the high land which shut in the bay from the sea, the pirates had a man constantly on the look-out, to report any vessel which might be in the offing, and Vincent himself passed much of his time there, as the breeze was fresh and the air cool to what it was down in the land-locked bay. I was, for the same reason, very fond of being on the look-out hill, and generally followed up the captain when he went out there. He certainly now showed a strong affection for me, and I liked him better than I ever thought I could have done. He was constantly telling me of the treatment he and the other poor blacks had received in America, and I could not help feeling my blood boil, and a conviction that, had I been so treated, I should probably have been equally under the influence of revenge. It is the world, and the treatment we receive from it, which makes us chiefly what we are. One day the captain told me he was going that evening to obtain information, as the spy he had sent had returned unsuccessful, and that he should be absent for three or four days.