Page:California Digital Library (IA recollectionsofe00abeliala).pdf/139

long while undiscovered, they became the terror of the island. They were at length, however, tracked to their rocky hold, where they stood a long siege, repelling all attacks by rolling stones on their assailants. It was at last deemed necessary to send a party of soldiers, to fire on them if they refused to surrender. But this measure was rendered unnecessary by the superior activity of one of the besieging party, who managed to climb the rock, reach the opposite side of the mountain, and clambering up still higher to gain a situation above the cave, the mouth of which became thus exposed to the same mode of attack which had effected its defence; so that, when one of the unfortunate freebooters approached the edge of the precipice to roll down stones, he was crushed to death, and his companions, who were following him, severely wounded. Many of the islanders believe to this day, that the ghost of the murdered slave is seen to make the circuit of the wild