Chapter 9 - Page 2

may
rely; I'll carry you all into Lisbon, before that tobacco-hating rover
shall carry you back to Portsmouth. This is a category to which I
will stick."

This characteristic explanation served to let the passengers understand
the real state of the case. No one remonstrated, for all preferred a race
to being taken; and even the Englishmen on board began again to take sides
with the vessel they were in, and this the more readily, as Captain Truck
freely admitted that their cruiser was too much for him on every tack but
the one he was about to try. Mr. Sharp hoped that they might now escape,
and as for Sir George Templemore, he generously repeated his offer to pay,
out of his own pocket, all the port-charges in any French, Spanish, or
Portuguese harbour, the master would enter, rather than see such an
outrage done a foreign vessel in a time of profound peace.

The expedient of Captain Truck proved his judgment, and his knowledge of
his profession. Within an hour it was apparent that, if there was any
essential difference in the sailing of the two ships under the present
circumstances, it was slightly in favour of the Montauk. The Foam now set
her ensign for the first time, a signal that she wished to speak the ship
in sight. At this Captain Truck chuckled, for he pronounced it a sign
that she was conscious she could not get them within range of her guns.

"Show him the gridiron," cried the captain, briskly; "it will not do to be
beaten in civility by a man who has beaten us already on so many other
tacks; but keep all fast as a church-door on a week-day."

This latter comparison was probably owing to the circumstance of the
master's having come from a part of the country where all the religion is
compressed into the twenty-four hours that commence on a Saturday-night at
sunset, and end at sunset the next day: at least, this was his own
explanation of the matter. The effect of success was always to make Mr.
Truck loquacious, and he now began to tell many excellent anecdotes, of
which he had stores, all of events that had happened to him in person, or
of which he had been an eye-witness; and on which his hearers, as Sancho
said, might so certainly depend as true, that, if they chose, they might
safely swear they had seen them themselves.

"Speaking of churches and doors, Sir George," he said, between the puffs
of the cigar, "were you ever in Rhode Island?"

"Never, as this is my first visit to America, captain."

"True; well, you will be likely to go there, if you go to Boston, as it is
the best way; unless you would prefer to run over Nantucket shoals, and a
hundred miles of ditto as Mr. Dodge calls it."