it.

The ship was steered large, until the French coast was entirely sunk; and
then we trimmed her by the wind, heading up as near to our course as the
breeze would permit. Nothing occurred in the course of the remainder of
the day to produce either trouble or uneasiness, though my three Frenchmen
came to certain explanations with me, that at first menaced a little
difficulty. They refused to work; and I was compelled to tell them, I
should put them on board the first English vessel of war we met. This had
the desired effect; and, after an amicable discussion, I agreed to pay
them high wages on our arrival in a friendly port: and they agreed to
serve me as well as they knew how. Seven men were rather less than half a
crew for a vessel of the Dawn's size, but it was possible to get along
with that number. The steering was the hardest part of the duty--neither
of the Frenchmen being able to take his trick at the helm. We got along
with the necessary work, however; and so glad were we all to be rid of
both English and French, that I hazard little in saying, we would have
endured twice as much, cheerfully, could we be certain of meeting no more
of their cruisers. Providence had ordered matters very differently.

That night the wind shifted again to the southward and westward. We
braced in the yards, and brought the ship to her course; but I thought it
best not to carry sail hard in the dark. Accordingly, I left orders to be
called at sunrise, Marble having the watch at that hour. When I came on
deck, in consequence of this summons, I found my mate examining the
horizon with some earnestness, as if be were looking for strangers.

"We are a merry party this morning, Captain Wallingford," Marble cried
out, as soon as he saw me. "I have found no less than six sail in sight,
since the day dawned."

"I hope that neither is a lugger. I feel more afraid of this Polisson,
just now, than of all the names in christendom. That fellow must be
cruising in the chops of the channel, and we are working our way well in
towards that part of the world."

"I hope so too, sir; but this chap, out here at north-west has a
suspicious, lugger-like look. It may be that I see only the heads of his
top-sails, but they are amazingly like luggs!"

I now took a survey of the ocean for myself. The vessel Marble distrusted,
I unhesitatingly pronounced to be a lugger; quite as likely the Polisson
as any other craft. The other four vessels were all ships