An old nursery song has it that "Taffy was a Welshman, Taffy was a thief." Substitute "Morgan" for "Taffy" and the description is exact, as the hero of this story was born in Wales. Many of his followers were from that country or from other parts of the British Isles, and his second, who captured the fort at Chagres, was Captain Brodely, an officer of English birth. Morgan repaired the fort, gave it a garrison of five hundred men, left a hundred and fifty to take care of the ships, and with twelve hundred men started across the Isthmus for Panama. They ascended the Chagres River in boats as far as they could go, and then marched overland through the forest. All the boats but one were sent back; a guard remained with this single boat, with orders never to leave it for a moment. The journey to Panama was a terrible one, and showed the power of the commander over his men. They had expected to find plenty of provisions in the country, and consequently did not burden themselves with any on their departure from Chagres. At the first landing-place they found the people had fled, leaving nothing behind them, and this was the case at nearly every other point. For three entire days the men were without food, and many of them wanted to turn back; partly by persuasion and partly by threats Morgan kept them together, though they were so much reduced that they were forced to eat some leather sacks found at an abandoned plantation on the way. [Illustration: MORGAN'S MEN DINING ON LEATHER.] The manner of preparing this food is interesting, but it is to be hoped none of our readers will ever be obliged to put it in practice. Some of the men devoured the leather raw, cutting it into small pieces, and swallowing it with water. Others, more fastidious, cut it into strips, moistened it with water, and then rubbed it between two stones until it was flexible. Then they scraped off the hair with their knives and broiled the strips over the fire. When the leather was thoroughly done it was cut into small pieces and washed down with water. After this frugal meal the men fasted two days, till they reached a plantation where they found a storehouse full of corn. All order and discipline were lost until the fellows had eaten all they wanted and loaded themselves with as much as they could carry. When they were assembled again they cheered their commander, and shouted "_To Panama_!" [Illustration: DEATH OF THE INDIAN CHIEF.] Their plenty did not last long, as they soon encountered a small force of Indians who had been sent out to intercept them. The men threw away their loads of corn and prepared to fight. The battle was a short one, as the Indians were overpowered by the superior weapons of the buccaneers, though the latter lost several of their number. The chief of the Indians fought bravely, and thrust a spear through one of his assailants before they succeeded in conquering him.