Chapter 15 - Page 2

ships, who will
overhaul our articles, and want to know what has become of the rest of
our people."

"Then we'll tell 'em that the rest of the crew has been pressed; they know
their own tricks too well, not to see the reasonableness of such an idee."

"No officer would leave a vessel of this size with only her master, mate,
cook, and one man, to take care of her, even had he found a crew of
deserters from his own ship in her. In such a case, and admitting a right
to impress from a foreigner at all, it would be his duty to send a party
to carry the craft into port. No, no, Moses--we must give all the English
a wide berth, now, or they will walk us into Plymouth, yet."

"Blast the hole! I was in it, a prisoner, during the revvylushun, and
never want to see its face ag'in. They've got what they call the Mill
Prison there, and it's a mill that does grinding less to my taste, than
the thing of your'n at Clawbonny. Why not go north-about, Miles? There
must be few cruisers up that-a-way."

"The road is too long, the weather is apt to be too thick, and the coast
is too dangerous for us, Moses. We have but two expedients to choose
between--to turn our heads to the westward, and try to get home, trusting
to luck to bring us up with some American who will help us, or steer due
east and run for a French port--Bordeaux for instance--where we might
either dispose of the cargo, or ship a new crew, and sail for our port of
destination."

"Then try the last, by all means. With this wind, we might shove the ship
in with the land in the course of two or three days, and go clear of
everything! I like the idee, and think it can be carried out. Burdux is
always full of Americans, and there must be men enough, to be had for the
asking, knocking about the quays."

After a little further conversation, we determined on this plan, and set
about carrying it into execution on the spot. In rounding-to, the ship had
been brought by the wind on the larboard tack, and was standing to the
northward and westward, instead of to the eastward, the course we now
wished to steer. It was necessary, therefore, to ware round and get the
ship's head in the right direction. This was not a difficult manoeuvre at
all, and the Englishman helping us, with seeming good-will, it was soon
successfully executed. When this was accomplished, I sent the English
sailor into the cabin to keep Diggens company, and we set a watch on deck
of two and two, Marble and myself taking charge four hours and four hours,
in the old mode.

I acknowledge that I slept little that night. Two or three limes we
detected Sennit attempting to haul close up under the ship's stern, out of
all question