"You will remember," he said, "that I took passage on a ship called the
'Seafoam,' which was bound for Aeda Land, where the great desert lay
which I would have to cross to get the Wonderful Plant.
"This ship was recommended as being safe and fast, and Sadna said the
Captain was a fine honest man who would do his best to make me
comfortable.
"It was a long, low boat, built apparently for speed, as it did not
seem to have much room for cargo, and what cargo was being loaded
aboard I noticed consisted mostly of oil and gunpowder. However, I was
well pleased enough with the accommodation offered me, and in due time
the ship set sail.
"After we had been out a few days I began to notice the crew. They
were the most murderous looking crowd of ruffians I had ever seen, and
seemed to be continually quarreling among themselves.
"The Captain too I thought anything but honest looking.
"One evening while it was yet very early I told the Captain I would go
to my cabin, for the weather being rough I was feeling rather seasick;
but after reaching my stateroom I decided that fresh air would do me
more good than sleep, so went up on deck and stood at the side of the
cabin looking out at the sea, and trying to make out by the stars which
direction we were following.
"It was quite dark, for the time of year was late fall and the evenings
closed in quickly. As I stood there in the shadow of the cabin two
people came towards me, talking in low tones.
"'When?' asked one voice, which I recognized as that of the first mate.
"'To-morrow night,' said the Captain's rough bass. 'We'll run up the
merry old skull and crossbones as soon as it gets dark, change our
name, and get out the guns. We ought to meet the Hesperus before
morning, and she carries a full cargo of Spanish gold.'
"'But what will we do with the Prince,' asked the first mate. 'Kill
him and throw him overboard?'
"'Oh, make him walk the plank at midnight, after we are all ready.
We'll tell him the ship's been captured. He'll never know he's aboard
the "Maneater." He has a tidy sum of gold with him, and that we'll
divide, you and I.'
"They passed out of hearing and left me rooted to the spot with horror.
"I was aboard a pirate ship, and the 'Maneater' at that, for years the
terror of all travelers on the high seas!
"How could I escape? That was the one thought which filled my mind.
You may be sure I did not sleep at all that night, and early next day
had laid my plans.
"I went first and inspected the small boats. The Captain's gig was the
smallest and lightest, and hung near the bow ready to launch. I
watched my chance and when the cook was busy elsewhere stole a big
package of ship's biscuits and a pail of fresh water. These I stowed
away in the gig under the tarpaulin that covered it. Then I cut the
ropes nearly through so that with much added weight it would drop into
the water some twelve feet below.
"I waited impatiently for nightfall, and when supper time came told the
Captain that as I still felt rather seasick I thought I had better
retire to my stateroom.
"I waited until I knew that the crew were all at supper, and then stole
out to the stern of the ship, raised one of the hatches carefully, and
spreading some oakum on the top of a tar barrel set it afire and laid
the hatch on again, after which I hurried back to my stateroom to await
the result.
"An hour passed. I began to fear that the fire had smothered for want
of air, and wished I had left the hatch open a little. Eight o'clock
came, and I heard the crew beginning to run about, and the Captain's
voice shouting orders. I could tell by the creaking of the ropes in
the pulleys that the flag of Sunne was being hauled down and the black
flag hoisted.
"Then there was a rumbling of heavy guns being pulled about the decks,
and after that the sound of hammering, and I knew they were changing
the name plate.
"Fearing they would lock me in my stateroom I packed as much gold into
my purse as it would hold, distributed the rest throughout my clothing,
and stole out of the cabin to the little passageway, where I lay
crouched behind the stair leading to the deck.
"All at once I heard a cry of 'Fire, fire,' and then a rush of feet
towards the stern.
"Now was my chance. With a bound I rushed on deck, pulled the
tarpaulin cover off the gig and sprang in. It dropped with a splash
into the water. Fortunately the sea was comparatively calm, and the
boat did not upset. I seized the oars and rowed away. I could see the
flames shooting to a height of perhaps twenty feet, and judged from the
space over which they spread that my fire must have crept through part
of the hold. The powder was all loaded in the bow, and was in no great
danger.
"Sharply outlined against the flames the men ran to and fro hauling
water in buckets from the sea. I rowed on and on, thinking only of
getting away from the pirates before they got the fire under control
and missed me, but as I watched I saw that the fire was getting beyond
them and soon I saw that nearly the whole ship was in flames. Suddenly
there was a distant booming sound, and the flames shot into the sky in
all directions, and when the black smoke had cleared away there were
little dots of flame all over the sea, where pieces of the burning
vessel were floating about.
"I was now about two miles away, and could not tell whether any of the
crew had escaped or not. Indeed I do not care, as they had all
murdered scores of innocent men and women in the years they had been
scouring the seas. It seemed to me a fitting thing that they should
have lost their lives by the very powder with which they intended to
kill others.
"By and by all the flaming specks disappeared, and I was alone on the
dark sea, for all I knew, miles away from land."