Chapter 15

_Capt._ "And as for these whose ransome we have set,
It is our pleasure, one of them depart:--
Therefore come you with us, and let him go."

King Henry VI.

By such simple means, and without resistance, as it might be, did I
recover the possession of my ship, the Dawn. But, now that the good vessel
was in my power, it was by no means an easy thing to say what was to be
done with her. We were just on the verge of the ground occupied by the
channel cruisers, and it was preposterous to think of running the gauntlet
among so many craft, with the expectation of escaping. It is true, we
might fall in with twenty English man-of-war vessels, before we met with
another Speedy, to seize us and order us into Plymouth, had everything
been in order and in the usual state; but no cruiser would or could board
us, and not demand the reasons why so large a ship should be navigated by
so small a crew. It was over matters like these that Marble and I now
consulted, no one being on the quarter-deck but the mate, who stood at the
wheel, and myself. The cook was keeping a look-out on the forecastle. The
Englishman had lain down, in full view, by my orders, at the foot of the
main-mast; while Neb, ever ready to sleep when not on duty, was catching a
nap on the booms.

"We have got the ship, Moses," I commenced, "and the question next arises,
what we are to do with her?"

"Carry her to her port of destination, Captain Wallingford, to be sure.
What else _can_ we do with her, sir?"

"Ay, that is well enough, if it can be done. But, in addition to the
difficulty of four men's taking care of a craft of five hundred tons, we
have a sea before us that is covered with English cruisers."

"As for the four men, you may safely set us down as eight. I'll engage we
do as much in a blow, as eight such fellows as are picked up now-a-days
'long shore. The men of the present time are mere children to those one
met with in my youth, Miles!"

"Neither Neb, nor the cook, nor I, am a man of other times, but are all
men of to-day; so you must call us but three, after all. I know we can do
much; but a gale may come that would teach us our insignificance. As it
is, we are barely able to furl the main-top-gallant-sail in a squall,
leaving one hand at the wheel, and another to let go rigging. No, no,
Moses; we must admit we are rather short-handed, putting the best face on
the matter."

"If you generalize in that mode, Miles, my dear boy, I must allow that we
are. We can go up channel, and ten chances to one but we fall in with
some Yankee, who will lend us a hand or two."

"We shall be twice as likely to meet with King George's