il for Rhode Island. An
hour afterwards I captured a whale-boat, from Connecticut to Bedford,
with four hogs-heads of salt. As I could spare no people to man her,
after making the prisoners come on board, I took her in tow. I was in
hopes of carrying her into harbour, but it soon came on to blow harder
than ever, and before long I had the dissatisfaction to find that I had
towed the prize under water, and, to avoid any mishap to ourselves, I
had quickly to cut her adrift. When the morning broke, so heavy a gale
was blowing that, being unable to reach Rhode Island, I bore away for
the Seaconnet Passage, making a signal to my prize to do the same. We
reached it not without difficulty. I was well content to drop my anchor
not far from his Majesty's ship Kingfisher, which I found lying there.
Grampus came in soon after, and brought up near me. I asked him if he
was sure that his ground tackle was good. He answered, "Pretty well,"
but he wished that it were better. An officer from the Kingfisher soon
after came on board, and advised us to look to our cables, for it was
coming on to blow harder than ever. The caution was not needed. I had
done all I could to secure the tender, and she seemed well able to ride
out the gale. The prize, however, I saw was labouring heavily. I
watched her anxiously, both on my own account and that of Grampus and
the men with him.

At noon, just as I was leaving the deck, I heard an exclamation from
Rockets, which made me pop my head pretty rapidly up the
companion-hatch, and, looking to leeward, I saw my prize, amid a mass of
foam, driving away at headlong speed towards the enemy's shore. To help
her was impossible. I was more sorry at the thought of losing Grampus
than of anything else. Even should he and his companions escape with
their lives, they would, at all events, be made prisoners by the enemy,
and I might chance never to meet my old follower again. First one cable
parted, then another. Grampus made sail as quickly as he could, but he
could only show a very small amount of canvas with the gale there was
then blowing. I watched the schooner anxiously through my glass. Tom
Rockets stood by my side, as eager about her as I was. On she drove.
She appeared to be almost among the breakers.

"She's lost, sir, she's lost!" exclaimed Tom.

"No, no," said I, taking another glance. "Grampus is handling her like
a good seaman, as he is. She keeps her luff, and is shooting ou