there!" commanded Zac; and Biler stood.

"Feller seamen and comrades at arms," said Zac, stretching out his
arm in the oratorical fashion which he had seen used at town meetings
"to hum." "This is a gellorious day for his great and gracious
majesty King George, whose loyal subjects we air, as we have proved
by this rescoo of his ship from the hands of the Philistines. It air
all very well for the king to send out his red-coats; but I tell you
what it is, I ain't seen a red-coat that lives that's equal to the
natyve pro-vincial. Who air the ones that doos the best fightin' out
here? The pro-vincials! Who air the men that's druv the wild and
bloodthusty Injin back to his natyve woods? The pro-vincial! And who
air the men that's goin' to settle the business of Moosoo, an' make
America too hot to hold him an' his'n? The red-coats? Nay; but
rayther the pro-vincials, the men that's fit the catamounts, an'
bars, an' Injins, an' turned the waste an' howlin' wilderness into a
gardin', an' made the desert blossom like a rose. So, I say, Hooray
for the pro-vincials!"

At this Zac removed his hat. Terry did the same; so did Jericho.
Biler had none to remove, but he raised his potato in the air. Zac
led off--"Hip, hip, hip, h-o-o-o-r-a-a-a-y!"

"Arrah, captain, darlint, an' while yo's about it, sure ye won't be
forgettin' ould Ireland," cried Terry, as the ringing cheers died
away over the waters.

"Certingly," said Zac. "Course. Here goes!"

And three cheers in the same fashion followed for Terry's native
land.

"Tare an' ages!" cried Terry; "an' while we're about it, sure an'
we's ought to give three chairs for Africa, in honor of Jericho."

"Hooray!" cried Zac. "Here goes!" And three cheers followed for
Africa. Whether Jericho knew much about Africa, may be a question;
but he understood at least that this honor was offered to himself,
and accepted it accordingly. It almost overwhelmed him. A wild
chuckle of spasmodic delight burst from him, which threatened to end
in a convulsion. And though he rallied from this, yet he was quite
demoralized, and it was a long time before he settled down into that
sedate old darky which was his normal condition.

And now Zac waited. Finding himself in command of his own schooner
again, he felt more able to act in case of necessity. He was so far
out from the shore that he was easily able to guard against the
unexpected arrival of any boat. By day he lay at anchor; but when
night came