6 ghastly corpse of my unfortunate shipmate, and placing the upper part across the gunnel, or rather the breach in our side, I bent downwards to raise up the lower extremities which hung down attached by the skin. As I attempted to do so, the body folded and came back, so that the ghastly visage lay immediately under me. At this instant a strange sensation seized my frame; every thing seemed in motion; and although PETER's eyes were glazed in death, his lips seemed to move, while imagination made him articulate the following words: You said the wall was low, and you could easily push me over it; that you would bring me out of the scrape or perish in the attempt, and that if any mischief befel me, blame Toм BRAGWELL :-I do blame you; for you have been the cause of my death! I turned aside from the haggard form. Ĭ staggered and fell senseless on the deck; and before I had recovered, another more adequate to the task, had launched the bloody corpse overboard. From this moment I never enjoyed the most transitory glimpse of peace of mind on board. I could not but consider myself as being the unhappy cause of the death of a fellow-creature. I knew well that without my advice he would never have come into such a situation. When I passed his birth at night, I shuddered with horror. When I sat down to my mess, I gazed with silent anguish on his empty place; and when I traversed the deck at the awful hour of midnight, I often thought I heard a voice saying: "The voice of thy brother's blood crieth for vengeance against thee.' In short, I became so completely miserable and disgusted with a situation in which I had not a single friend; for every man's hand seemed to be turned against me, that I made up my mind, that as soon as my wound was completely healed up, and I found an opportunity to escape, I should do so. This resolution I was soon enabled to put in execution, for my wound was speedily got the better of, and being on shore one day on a watering expedition, I took the liberty forever to bid adieu to the life of a sailor. "Having got previous information where my former companion in iniquity JACK DESPERATE had taken up his residence, I made the best of my way to him, unmindful of all my vows and promises; and without the smallest re morse morse for the past or care for the future, I entered into his depraved views, and joined in that fatal course which has brought me here, and ended in my ruin. "It would take up too much time to attempt to enumerate all the petty and flagrant crimes we were guilty of, in our short, but sinful career. I shall, therefore, proceed to the last wicked act in my eventful and tragical life. JACK returned home one evening sooner than usual; just as I too had come in from one of my predatory excursions, and told me to get my pistol in order, for he had some fine game in view for that night's amusement. I had no difficulty to guess what sort of game he meant, but as I was never fond of expeditions, in which it became necessary to have recourse to fire-arms, I felt rather alarmed at the magnitude of his preparations, on seeing him load a pair of double-barrelled pistols, which gave me reason to conclude that it was upon no common enterprize we were about entering. I had no alternative, however, but to take down my pistol, and follow his example by loading, in order to keep up appearances, and was obliged to move at the word of command when he opened the door, and said, 'Follow me,' just as the watchman called half-past twelve o'clock. It was not long till I discovered that the scene of operations lay in a house inhabited by two old ladies, where we had been hospitably entertained by a good natured fellow of a footman, an old acquaintance of JACK'S, but a few days before. The name of this unfortunate man was SOLOMON JOY, a name not at all corresponding with the unhappy fate that awaited him. 'Surely,' said I, as we approached the premises, you do not intend to rob the bouse of SOLOMON's mistresses? Why not?' replied DESPERATE.. That will do SOLOMON no harm if he remain quiet; but if he stirs, he must abide the consequences, for in that case I would not give a farthing for his life, or for your's either if you appeared squeamish! This, I thought, was the most horrid business I ever was engaged in; but still hoped we would get off without bloodshed; especially after we had got in by a low unfastened window, and had nigh accomplished our purpose without any alarm, except what was occasioned by a cat on our entrance. however so happened, that, (perhaps imboldened by our It success success) nothing would serve JACK but we should carry off SOLOMON'S watch also, and in order to put my resolu tion and dexterity to the test, he said, he would give me the honour of this enterprize. There,' whispered he, pointing to the door, in which the poor lad was sleeping, there is the post of honour! march you up to it. You will find the watch upon a chair, on the other side of the 100m among his clothes. You have nothing to do but slip in quietly; snatch it up, and we will be off in an instant. The plan appeared so simple and easily to be accomplished, as laid down by this experienced captain, that I could not well refuse; especially when he backed his argument with but, hark ye! BRAGWELL! if you flinch, this (holding out his pistol at arm's length,) will do more than the midshipman's dirk for you.' I immediately advanced with cautious steps, opened the door softly, and got across the room, and found, indeed, that he was no stranger to the place where the young man deposited his watch. I snatched it up; but in the act of doing so, dislodged his clothes, which fell to the ground. SOLOMON, at this instant, called out, Hiss, cat,' supposing, no doubt, that the cat had got into his room. I stood for a moment panic struck; but as he lay still, I concluded that he had dropped asleep again, and commenced my retreat with as little noise as possible. Just as I had got about half way across the room, he, however, leapt from his bed, and seized me on the floor, where a desperate struggle took place; during which, he contrived to touch a spring at the window, which set a bell a ringing, and a noise was heard up stairs. Still I was willing to spare his life, and make the best of my way to get off, when, at the critical moment, DESPERATE looked in, and presenting his pistol, with a dreadful imprecation, cried out to me, to give it him, or he would do the business for us both.' I had contrived during the struggle, to keep the pistol cocked in my hand, and without well knowing what I was doing, at the infernal mandate, clapped it to the head of the unfortunate youth, and killed him on the spot. "O what a night of horror that was!-The report of firearms-the noise of the alarm bell-a continued cry of fire and murder! from the windows up-stairs-the watchmen thundering thundering at the front door for admittance-soon made us relinquish all thoughts of booty, and contrive only how we could escape. This we accomplished with some difficulty by a back passage, while the watchmen, who had now assembled from different quarters, forced their way in at the front gate; the open window by which we entered having escaped their notice. Having got to a small distance from the bloody scene, we stopped, panting and cut of breath, for a few moments, to deliberate on what course to take, and it was here that I discovered that I had left that murderous weapon behind me, which has since been of such material use in my conviction. DESPERATE, who seemed never at a loss for expedients, said, that the best thing we could do to prevent suspicion, would be to make the best of our way home, let ourselves in by our spare key unknown to our landlord, and get to bed. This we did with the utmost dispatch; but all sleep was banished from my eyelids. I had time to reflect; but my reflection almost drove me to desperation and madness. Many a time did I cast my eye to the place where the pistols of DESPERATE lay concealed, and thought only of depriving myself of that existence which had now become unsupportable. O how I envied the fate of SOLOMON JOY-cursed the day that gave me birth-poured imprecations on SIMON FRISK for turning me aside from the path of virtue-and on JACK DESPERATE for urging me on in a course of vice. The morning dawned; but it brought no repose to my soul; for this once I could have become a welcome breakfast to the fishes. I got up; but the bloody stains on my clothes, made me shrink from them with horror; yet it was necessary we should go out as usual to prevent suspicion. I therefore arrayed myself in my best attire, and sallied forth with my companion at a late hour in the morning. At the very moment we had got to the end of the lane in which our lodging was situated, we observed a man, surrounded by a crowd, posting up a bill with MURDER AND ROBBERY in large letters at the top of it. We gazed over the shoulders of the by-standers, and read enough to convince us that was no longer a place of safety. As the man was in a progressive way up the lane, we did not think it prudent to follow follow him back to our lodgings, and observing the people begin to eye us attentively as we went forward, without any arrangement where we should meet, we instinctively DESPERATE crossed to one side of agreed to separate. the street, while I took a contrary direction; but as I now hated and despised him in my heart, I experienced not the least regret from this last separation, as I have never heard of him since; although, I have no doubt, from the description that is now given of his person, and the knowledge that the officers of justice have obtained of his haunts, that he will one day be brought to atone for his crimes. my "Convinced that I would likely soon be discovered if I remained in the city, I made the best of my way into the country, and by forced marches during the night, and secreting myself in woods and recesses in the day time, I was at last fortunate enough, as I thought myself, to reach a friend's house, within a few miles of that of father, to which I was afraid to venture. I was, however, dis covered, and taken up in my retreat, and confined again in the very jail where I had before lain, previous to being sent on board a man-of-war. In this situation, I was con fronted with the person who sold me the pistol with which I committed the horrid deed: which circumstance, and the watch that I had left behind me in my lodgings, in my agitation, together with my bloody clothes, I was con vinced, left me not the smallest chance of escape, unless I could put the whole blame upon DESPERATE, which, as he had not been taken up, I was resolved to do. "This forlorn hope, however, stood me of no avail. Every artifice was over-ruled at my trial, and after having been buoyed up with an illusory hope, I had the mortification to hear the dreadful sentence of the law pronounced against me. Now, Sir, that you have heard my story without any disguise, you are the better enabled to judge how far I am justifiable in having my doubts, whether in the event of having my time lengthened out by any unforeseen or anlooked for mercy, I would adhere to my resolutions; and of the correctness of my statement when I told you, that I had twice already, with death staring me in the face,' resolved on amendment. I know that I am sen tenced |