Some of the men whispered together in corners, while others scowled at them in distrust -- and grew unruly and soon were ripe for mutiny. To make matters worse, the wines and liquors aboard were made too free . . . and before long the cutthroats were in a debauch that threatened to last as long as the rum! Within a week one man was buried and another lay in his bunk cut to ribbons.

Then the brig Truxillo, consort of the Santa Theresa, appeared in the offing one morning and hung on in chase, with all sail set.

All day and night the two ships raced, the one to escape -- the other to capture the pirates!

English-born American journalist William MacLeod Raine (1871-1954) achieved widespread fame for his stories of the Wild West. That he felt equally at home upon the high seas is proved by The Pirate of Panama.