remained. Hastily gathering food and guns, the little group launched
this boat and succeeded in reaching a small island. They never saw
the slave trader or his men again.

After the storm the shipwrecked men found boxes of food and
lumber along the shore. They built houses for themselves, and a small
boat. They used the boat to explore near-by islands. One day they found
a new sloop fitted with cannon. It had been wrecked and deserted by
its crew.

"This is great luck," said the mate, "We can repair this ship and
become pirates."

"Pirates?" question Black Caesar.

"Yes," the mate explained. "We can rob passing ships and
become rich."

This pleased Black Caesar and his men. They worked hard and
in a few days the sloop was afloat. The mate taught the savages how to
handle the sails and fire the cannon.

Then they sailed along the Gulf Stream and robbed one ship after
another. Soon they had so much gold and jewelry that they had to put it
in chests, which they buried on different islands for safekeeping.

One day the mate was killed in a battle. Black Caesar would
have returned to Africa but did not know how to reach his native land.