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The last of their boats flew into splinters as it touched the wharf,
and its remains were buried under a shower of loosened masonry.
That was the end of this pirate crew, which not ten minutes ago had
been laughingly counting up the pieces of eight that would fall to
the portion of each for his share in that act of villainy. Close
upon threescore survivors contrived to reach the shore. Whether
they had cause for congratulation, I am unable to say in the absence
of any records in which their fate may be traced. That lack of
records is in itself eloquent. We know that they were made fast as
they landed, and considering the offence they had given I am not
disposed to doubt that they had every reason to regret the survival.
The mystery of the succour that had come at the eleventh hour to
wreak vengeance upon the Spaniards, and to preserve for the island
the extortionate ransom of a hundred thousand pieces of eight,
remained yet to be probed. That the Cinco Llagas was now in friendly
hands could no longer be doubted after the proofs it had given.


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