Chapter 5 - Page 2

lieutenant-commanding having secret
instructions, and the midshipmen attending looking ominously wise,
though, in truth, they could not tell what was coming.

Gaining the sloop of war, the lieutenant was received with the
customary honours; but by this time the tall, bearded officer had
disappeared from the Quarter-deck. The Lieutenant now inquired for
the Peruvian Captain; and being shown into the cabin, made known to
him, that on board his vessel was a person belonging to the United
States Ship Neversink; and his orders were, to have that person
delivered up instanter.

The foreign captain curled his mustache in astonishment and
indignation; he hinted something about beating to quarters, and
chastising this piece of Yankee insolence.

But resting one gloved hand upon the table, and playing with his
sword-knot, the Lieutenant, with a bland firmness, repeated his
demand. At last, the whole case being so plainly made out, and the
person in question being so accurately described, even to a mole on
his cheek, there remained nothing but immediate compliance.

So the fine-looking, bearded officer, who had so courteously doffed
his chapeau to our Captain, but disappeared upon the arrival of the
Lieutenant, was summoned into the cabin, before his superior, who
addressed him thus:--

"Don John, this gentleman declares, that of right you belong to the
frigate Neversink. Is it so?"

"It is even so, Don Sereno," said Jack Chase, proudly folding his
gold-laced coat-sleeves across his chest--"and as there is no
resisting the frigate, I comply.--Lieutenant Blink, I am ready.
Adieu! Don Sereno, and Madre de Dios protect you? You have been a
most gentlemanly friend and captain to me. I hope you will yet thrash
your beggarly foes."

With that he turned; and entering the cutter, was pulled back to the
frigate, and stepped up to Captain Claret, where that gentleman stood
on the quarter-deck.

"Your servant, my fine Don," said the Captain, ironically lifting his
chapeau, but regarding Jack at the same time with a look of intense
displeasure.

"Your most devoted and penitent Captain of the Main-top, sir; and one
who, in his very humility of contrition is yet proud to call Captain
Claret his commander," said Jack, making a glorious bow, and then
tragically flinging overboard his Peruvian sword.

"Reinstate him at once," shouted Captain Claret--"and now, sir, to
your duty; and discharge that well to the end of the cruise, and you
will hear no more of your having run away."

So Jack went forward among crowds of admiring tars, who swore by his
nut-brown beard, which had amazingly lengthened and spread