benefit. This hangman, much to the fellow's chagrin, L'Olonnois put
to death like the rest of his prisoners. His great achievements
were in the Gulf of Venezuela or Bay of Maracaibo. The gulf is a
strong place; the mouth, no wider than a gun-shot, is guarded by two
islands. Far up the inlet is Maracaibo, a town of three thousand
people, fortified and surrounded by woods. Yet farther up is the
town of Gibraltar. To attack these was a desperate enterprise; but
L'Olonnois stole past the forts, and frightened the townsfolk into
the woods. As a rule the Spaniards made the poorest resistance;
there were examples of courage, but none of conduct. With strong
forts, heavy guns, many men, provisions, and ammunition, they
quailed before the desperate valour of the pirates. The towns were
sacked, the fugitives hunted out in the woods, and the most
abominable tortures were applied to make them betray their friends
and reveal their treasures. When they were silent, or had no
treasures to declare, they were hacked, twisted, burned, and starved
to death.

Such were the manners of L'Olonnois; and Captain Morgan, of Wales,
was even more ruthless.

Gibraltar was well fortified and strengthened after Maracaibo fell;
new batteries were raised, the way through the woods was barricaded,
and no fewer than eight hundred men were under arms to resist a
small pirate force, exhausted by debauch, and having its retreat cut
off by the forts at the mouth of the great salt-water loch. But
L'Olonnois did not blench: he told the men that audacity was their
one hope, also that he would pistol the first who gave ground. The
men cheered enthusiastically, and a party of three hundred and fifty
landed. The barricaded way they could not force, and in a newly cut