, and raising him into the boat.

Sennit availed himself of this accident, to make further remonstrances on
the subject of having any more men put in the boat. It was easy to see, it
was as much his policy to get everybody out of that little conveyance, as
it was mine to get all the English into her.

"For God's sake, Captain Wallingford, knock off with this, if you please;"
cried the lieutenant, with a most imploring sort of civility of
manner.--"You see how it is; we can barely keep the boat from swamping,
with the number we have in her; and a dozen times during the night I
thought the ship would drag her under. Nothing can be easier than for you
to secure us all, if you will let us come on board, one at a time."

"I do not wish to see you in irons, Mr. Sennit; and this will remove any
necessity for resorting to an expedient so unpleasant. Hold on upon the
tackle, therefore, as I shall feel obliged to cast you off entirely,
unless you obey orders."

This threat had the desired effect. One by one, the men were let up out of
the forecastle, and sent into the boat. Cooked meat, bread, rum and water,
were supplied to the English; and, to be ready to meet any accident, we
lowered them a compass, and Sennit's quadrant. We did the last at his own
earnest request, for he seemed to suspect we intended sending him adrift,
as indeed was my plan, at the proper moment.

Although the boat had now twelve men in her, she was in no danger, being a
stout, buoyant six-oared yawl, that might have held twenty, on an
emergency. The weather looked promising, too,--the wind being just a good
top-gallant breeze, for a ship steering full and by. The only thing about
which I had any qualms, was the circumstance that south-west winds were
apt to bring mists, and that the boat might thus be lost. The emergency,
nevertheless, was one that justified some risks, and I pursued my
plan steadily.

As soon as all the English were in the boat, and well provided with
necessaries, we felt at more liberty to move about the ship, and exert
ourselves in taking care of her. The man at the wheel could keep an eye on
the enemy,--the Dawn steering like a pilot-boat. Neb was sent aloft, to do
certain necessary duty, and the top-gallant-sails being loose, the
clew-lines were overhauled, and the sails set. I did this more to prevent
the English ship from suspecting something wrong, at seeing a vessel
running off, before the wind, under such short canvass, than