continues another hour,
I would not give a rope-yarn for all your lives. When we reach that
point on the larboard-bow, you must throw out your grappling-irons, and
hold in, for she will be then close-hauled and go under water like a
duck, and you will all be in David's locker before you can say, Luff,
boy!" Then, addressing himself to one of his men, "Steady, Tom, steady;
don't let her go off; don't you see the light ahead? run it down.
Steady, boy, steady! luff a little, luff!" At this moment an awful sea
broke over us. My mouth was full, and I was wet to the skin; but,
strange to say, I felt no alarm. Our little vessel dived like the gull
after its prey. As soon as she righted, I said, "Captain, that was a
wetter." He replied, "Ay, boy; you will get plenty of them before we
make the port."--"Very consoling, truly," thought I to myself. I had
just squeezed myself up into a small compass, head and knees together,
close to the helm, when we shipped another tremendous sea, which carried
away our foresail, and made so terrific and dreadful a flapping, that an
officer bellowed out from below, "Is there anything the matter?"--"Yes,"
replied the captain, "the devil to pay, and no pitch hot." These words
were scarcely spoken, when we shipped another awful sea, which washed
three soldiers overboard. At this crisis, a sailor bellowed out, "Light
ahead, sir."--"The devil there is! what does it look like?" roared the
captain.--"Like a light," replied the sailor.--"A Frenchman, I suppose,"
vociferated the captain. These words caught the ear of the military
captain on board, who holloed out from below, "What did you say about a
Frenchman?"--"Why, that if it gets clear, we may have a bit of a fight;
for I see there is a Frenchman ahead," replied the sea captain.--"Then,"
said the soldier, "I had better get my men ready. Sergeant, get the
bugler! Sound to arms! Call the drummer, and tell him to beat to arms!"
But the devil a drummer, drum, bugler, or bugle was forthcoming. All the
men were busily engaged below, and by no means in a condition to come to
the scratch, French or no French. Notwithstanding this, the noble
soldier strutted about on deck by himself, with a cocked hat, and sword
in hand, when a merciless sea washed off his gay hat, and the gallant
captain lost his balance, and fell into the hold, bawling out most
lustily for his three-cornered scraper, which was buffeting the raging
billows. "I say, captain, have the goodness t