As it happened, the
"Saturn" was close alongside when the fog lifted, and her boat soon
came to the American ship. An officer, evidently very irate, bounded
upon the deck, and said brusquely,--

"You must have been drifting very fast. We have been making nine knots
an hour, and yet here you are alongside."

"So it appears," responded the American lieutenant coolly.

"We saw a boat leave you, some time ago," continued the Englishman. "I
suppose Capt. Porter went in it?"

"Yes. You are quite right."

"And probably more of you will run away, unless I cut away your boats
from the davits."

"Perhaps that would be a good plan for you to adopt."

"And I would do it very quickly, if the question rested with me."

"You infernal puppy," shouted the American officer, now thoroughly
aroused, "if you have any duty to do, do it; but, if you insult me
further, I'll throw you overboard!"

With a few inarticulate sounds, the Englishman stepped into his boat,
and was pulled back to the "Saturn," whence soon returned a second
boat, bearing an apology for the boarding-officer's rudeness. The
boarders then searched all parts of the ship, mustered her crew on the
plea that it contained British deserters, and finally released her,
after having inflicted every possible humiliation upon her officers.
The "Essex Junior" then proceeded to New York, where she was soon
joined by Capt. Porter. The whole country united in doing honor to the
officers, overlooking the defeat which closed their cruise, and
regarding only the persistent bravery with which they had upheld the
cause of the United States in the far-off waters of the Pacific.

Before closing the account of Porter's famous cruise, the story of the
ill-fortune which befell Lieut. Gamble should be related. This
officer, it will be remembered, was left at Nookaheevah with the
prizes "Greenwich," "Seringapatam," and "Hammond." Hardly had the
frigate disappeared below the horizon, when the natives began to grow
unruly; and Gamble was forced to lead several armed expeditions
against them. Then the sailors under his charge began to show signs of
mutiny. He found himself almost without means of enforcing his
authority, and the disaffection spread daily. The natives, incited by
the half-savage Englishman who had been found upon the island, began
to make depredations upon the live-stock; while the women would swim
out to the ships by night, and purloin bread, aided by their lovers
among th