as ready. Sennit had
made but an indifferent dinner, it would seem, and he appeared every way
disposed to take his revenge on the present occasion. Calling out to me to
follow, he led the way, cheerfully, into the cabin, professing great
satisfaction at finding we were to make but one mess of it. Strictly
speaking, a prize crew, under circumstances like those in which the Dawn
was now placed, had no right to consume any portion of the vessel's own
stores, condemnation being indispensable to legalize Lord Harry Dermond's
course, even according to the laws of his own country. But I had ordered
Neb to be liberal with my means, and a very respectable entertainment was
spread before our eyes, when we reached the cabin. Sennit was soon hard at
work; but, under pretence of looking for some better sugar than had been
placed on the table, I got three bottles of brandy privately into Neb's
hands, whispering him to give one to the master's-mate on deck, and the
other two to the crew. I knew there were too many motives for such a
bribe, connected with our treatment, the care of our private property, and
other things of that nature, to feel any apprehension that the true object
of this liberality would be suspected by those who were to reap its
advantages.

Sennit, Marble, and myself, sate quite an hour at table. The former drank
freely of wine; though he declined having anything to do with the brandy.
As he had taken two or three glasses of the rejected liquor in my presence
before the two ships parted, I was convinced his present forbearance
proceeded from a consciousness of the delicate circumstances in which he
was placed, and I became rather more wary in my own movements. At length
the lieutenant said something about the "poor devil on deck," and Marble
was sent up, to look out for the ship, while Diggens came below to eat.
The instant the master's-mate appeared, I could see the brandy had been
doing its work on him, and I was fearful his superior might notice it. He
did not, however, being too well pleased with the Madeira I had set before
him, to trouble himself about a few drams, more or less, that might have
fallen to the share of his subordinate.

At length this memorable supper, like everything else of earth, came to an
end, and all of us went on deck in a body: leaving Neb and the cook to
clear away the fragments. It was now night, though a soft star-light was
diffused over the surface of the rolling water. The wind had