saved!  I uttered a triumphant cry, which was responded to by the colonel, and which the abyss re-echoed with a hollow sound, as if it felt that its prey had escaped from it.  I quitted the saddle, sat down between the wall and the body of my horse, and vigorously pushed with my feet against the carcass of the wretched animal, which rolled down into the abyss.  I then arose, and cleared, at a few bounds, the distance which separated the place where I was from the plain; and, under the irresistible reaction of the terror which I had long repressed, I sank into a swoon upon the ground.  When I reopened my eyes, the colonel was by my side.”

A SKETCH

From “Life on the ocean.”

Carthagena lies in the parallel of ten degrees twenty-six minutes north, and seventy-five degrees thirty-eight minutes west longitude; the harbor is good, with an easy entrance; the city is strongly fortified by extensive and commanding fortifications and batteries, and, I should suppose, if well garrisoned and manned, they would be perfectly able to repel any force which might be brought to bear against them.  It was well known, at this time, that all the provinces of Spain had shaken off their allegiance to the mother country, and declared themselves independent.  Carthagena, the most prominent of the provinces, was a place of considerable commerce; and, about this time, a few men-of-war, and a number of privateers, were fitted out there.  The Carthagenian flag now presented a chance of gain to the cupidity of the avaricious and desperate, among whom was our commander, Captain S. As soon, therefore, as we had filled up our water, &c., a proposition was made by him, to the second lieutenant and myself, to cruise under both flags, the American and Carthagenian, and this to be kept a profound secret from the crew, until we had sailed from port.  Of course, we rejected the proposition with disdain, and told him the consequence of such a measure, in the event of being taken by a man-of-war of any nation,—­that it was piracy, to all intents and purposes, according to the law of nations.  We refused to go out in the privateer, if he persisted in this most nefarious act, and we heard no more of it while we lay in port.

In a few days we were ready for sea, and sailed in company with our companion, her force being rather more than ours, but the vessel very inferior, in point of sailing.  While together, we captured several small British schooners, the cargoes of which, together with some specie, were divided between two privateers.  Into one of the prizes we put all the prisoners, gave them plenty of water and provisions, and let them pursue their course:  the remainder of the prizes were burned.  We then parted company, and, being short of water, ran in toward the land, in order to ascertain if any could be procured.  In approaching the shore, the wind died away to a perfect calm; and, at 4 P.M.,