ighteen-
pounders, six of a side, mounted in the ship's main-deck battery.
"Waal, I was in more'n half a mind to give ye a dose from them in answer
to your shot; and yew may thank my mate here, Mr Silas Jenkins, for
persuadin' me outer the notion! And what d'ye want, anyway, now that
yew're here, and be hanged to ye?"

"I have taken the liberty to board your ship for the purpose of getting
a sight of your papers," I answered. "Our information is that there are
two sister ships--this vessel, and a Spanish craft named the _Preciosa_
which are doing a roaring trade in carrying slaves across the Atlantic;
and it is part of my duty to lay hands on the _Preciosa_ if I can. Your
vessel answers to her description in every particular save that of name
and the flag she flies; and therefore, having fallen in with you, I felt
that I should not be doing my duty unless I boarded you and inspected
your papers."

"Waal, I'll be jiggered!" exclaimed the skipper, turning to his mate.
"Hear that, Silas? I'll bet yew ten dollars the critter calls hisself a
sailor, and yet he can't tell the difference between the _Virginia_ and
the _Preciosa_ without lookin' at their papers! I'll tell ye, stranger,
where the difference is between them two vessels. One on 'em has V-i-r-
g-i-n-i-a, N-e-w O-r-l-e-a-n-s cut--_cut_, mind you--and painted on her
starn, and she flies that galorious flag that's floatin' up thar,"
pointing to the American ensign fluttering from the gaff-end--"while
t'other has the words P-r-e-c-i-o-s-a, H-a-v-a-n-a cut and painted on
hern, and she flies a yaller flag with two red bars. I know, because
I've seen her--ay, most as often as I've seen the _'Ginia_! Now, sonny,
d'ye think ye'll be able to remember that little lesson in sailormanship
that a free-born American citizen has been obliged to give ye?"

I laughed. "Thank you for nothing," said I. "And now I will trouble
you for a sight of those papers that we were speaking of."

"I'll be darned if yew will, though, stranger!" he snapped. "No,
sirree; not much, I don't think! Why, yew're even more ignorant than I
thought yew was, and I must teach ye another little bit of yewr
business. Why, yew goldarned Britisher, d'ye know that yew haven't got
no right at all to stop me from pursooin' my v'yage, or to demand a
sight o' my papers? Supposin' I was to report this outrage to my
Gover'ment, what d'ye suppose would happen? Why, our men-o'-war would
just up and sink