and all the other
weaknesses of nature. It was useless to attempt to find him off his guard,
and worn out, Marble and myself fell into deep sleep, about three in the
morning, out of pure exhaustion. As for the two negroes they slept the
entire night, waiting our summons for their rallying to the work. Neb, in
particular, had all the absence of responsibility that distinguishes the
existence of a slave, feeling very much the same unconcern as to the
movements of the vessel, as any other human being feels in connection with
those of the earth in which he is a passenger.

It was ten o'clock when I awoke, refreshed, but disappointed. Marble was
still snoring in his berth, and I was compelled to give him a call. I
could perceive there was a breeze, and that the ship was going through the
water fast; by her lurching, she was close hauled. It takes a seaman but a
minute or two to throw on his loose attire, and no time was lost on the
present occasion. While my mate and I were thus engaged, the former
happened to cast a look out of the cabin windows, which were open on
account of the warmth of the weather, and offered no obstruction to a long
view of the ocean directly in our wake.

"Halloo, Miles!" Marble exclaimed; "by Jove, we are chased! Such is the
secret of Mr. Frog's being so much alive this fine morning. Yonder comes
a frigate, or my name is not Oloff Marble."

A frigate there was, sure enough. She was about two leagues astern of us,
and resembled a pyramidal cloud, moving along the water, so completely
were her spars covered with canvass. That she was an Englishman was more
than probable, from the cruising ground, as well as from the fact of the
prize-crew running from her. In that day, no French ship-of-war loitered
long at any particular point, her enemies being so numerous as to render
pursuit certain, ere many hours could elapse. After determining these
facts in our minds, Marble and I went on deck.

My first look was ahead. To my deep regret there lay the land, actually
within three leagues of us! The wind was fresh at north-east, and Monsieur
Le Gros appeared to be steering for a group of islands that lay a little,
and ever so little, on our lee bow. Brest was out of the question; if we
could get in with the land, among these islands, it was as much as we
could do, before the racer astern would be up to us. The Frenchmen were
evidently alarmed; an English prison-ship, with all its known horrors,
being very viv