hing when a conflict is
unavoidable. It may be well to respect your enemy down to the very moment
of making the charge; but, that commenced, the more he is despised, the
better. When Diogenes and Neb were told it would be necessary to go over
again the work so lately thought to be completed, neither of the negroes
manifested the least concern. Diogenes had been in the Crisis, as well as
Neb, and he had got to entertain a very Anglican sort of notion of French
prowess on the water; and, as for my own black, he would have followed
without the slightest remonstrance, wherever "Masser Mile please to lead."

"They's only French," said Diogenes, in a philosophical sort of way; "we
can handle 'em like children."

I would not discourage this notion, though I saw its folly. Telling our
two supporters to hold themselves ready for an attack, Marble and I left
them, to cogitate and commence the manner of proceeding. Whatever was
done, must be done that night; there being reason to think the ship would
get in somewhere, next day.

The name of our prize-master was Le Gros. He was not aptly designated,
however, being a little, shrivelled, yellow-faced fellow, who did not seem
to be a Hercules at all. Nevertheless, unlike Sennit, he was all vigilance
and activity. He never left the deck, and, being so near in with the
coast, I felt pretty certain we should have his company above board all
night. Whatever was attempted, therefore, must be attempted in defiance
of his watchfulness. Nor was this all; additional prudence was necessary,
since we were so near the coast as greatly to increase the chance of our
being picked up by some other French cruiser, should we even escape from
this. Extreme caution was our cue, therefore, and Marble and I separated,
seemingly each to take his repose with a perfect understanding on all
these points.

Mons. Le Gros paid no attention to the state-rooms, or to the
accommodations below. His whole care was bestowed on the ship.
Apprehension of falling in with some British cruiser, kept his eyes wide
open, and his gaze constantly sweeping the horizon, so far as the
obscurity would allow. I was incessantly on the alert myself, stealing up
from the cabin, as far as the companion-way, at least a dozen times in the
course of the night, in the hope of finding him asleep; but, on each
occasion, I saw him moving up and down the quarter-deck, in rapid motion,
armed to the teeth, and seemingly insensible to fatigue,