threw down his sword,
saying he was only jesting. But the gunner, seeing that Rawlins
suspected him, whispered something in his ear, calling Heaven to witness
that he had never breathed a word of the enterprise, and never would.
Nevertheless, Rawlins kept the knives in his sleeve all night, and was
somewhat troubled, though afterwards the gunner proved faithful and
zealous in the undertaking.

All this time Rawlins persuaded the captain, who himself had little
knowledge of seamanship, to steer northward, meaning to draw him away
from the neighbourhood of other Turkish vessels. On February 6 they
descried a sail, and at once the Turks gave chase, and made her
surrender. It proved to be a ship from near Dartmouth, laden with silk.
As it was stormy weather, the Turks did not put down their boat, but
made the master of the conquered ship put down his, and come on board
with five of his men and a boy, while ten of the Turks' men, among whom
were one English and two Dutch renegades belonging to the conspiracy,
went to man the prize instead.

[Illustration]

But when Rawlins saw this division of his friends, before they could set
out for the other ship, he found means to tell them plainly that he
would complete his enterprise either that night or the next, and that
whatever came of it they must acquaint the four English left on the
captured ship with his resolution, and steer for England while the Turks
slept and suspected nothing. For, by God's grace, in his first watch he
would show them a light, to let them know that the enterprise was begun,
or about to be begun.

So the boat reached the ship from Dartmouth; and next Rawlins told the
captain and his men whom the Turks had sent down among the other
prisoners of his design, and found them willing to throw in their lot
with him.

The next morning, being February 7, the prize from Dartmouth was not to
be seen--the men indeed having followed Rawlins' counsel and steered for
England. But the Turkish captain began to storm and swear, telling
Rawlins to search the seas up and down for her--which he did all day
without success. Then Rawlins, finding a good deal of water in the hold,
persuaded the captain, by telling him that the ship was not rightly
balanced, to have four of the guns brought aft, that the water might run
to the pump. This being done, and the guns placed where the English
could use them for their own purpose, the final arrangement was made.
The ship having t