Page:Life, strange voyages, and uncommon adventures of Ambrose Gwinett.pdf/14

14 shoulder, tears burst into his eyes. "Sir," says I, "if you were, and are the man I take you for, you here see before you one of the most unfortunate of human-kind; Sir, is your name Collins?" He answered it was——"Richard Collins!" said I. He replied, "Yes," "Then," said I, "I was hanged and gibbeted upon your account in England."

After our mutual surprise was over, he made me give him a circumstantial detail of every thing that happened to me in England, from the moment we parted. I never saw any man express such concern as he did, while I was pursuing my melancholy adventures; but when I came to the circumstances of being hanged, and afterwards hung in chains, I could hardly prevail upon him to believe my relation, till backed by the most serious asseverations, pronounced in the most solemn manner. When I had done; "Well," said he, young man, (for I was then but in my twenty fifth year; Mr. Collins might be about forty-three) if you have sustained misfortunes upon my account, do not imagine (though I cannot lay them at your door) that I have been without my sufferings. God knows my heart, I am most exceedingly sorry for the injustice that has been done you; but the ways of Providence are unsearchable." He then proceeded to inform me by what accident all my troubles had been brought about.

"When you left me in bed," said he, "having at first awaked with an oppression I could not account for, I found myself grow exceedingly sick and weak; I did not know what was the matter; I groan’d and sigh'd, and thought myself going to die; when, accidentally, putting my hand to my left arm, in which I had been blooded the morning before, I found my shirt wet, and, in short, that