. I
thought the poor fellow's arm was broken, for I could see him lay a hand
on the injured part, like a man who suffered pain. He instantly changed
places with the second-mate, who, however, seized his oar, and began to
use it, with great power. Three more muskets were fired, seemingly without
doing any harm. But the leading boat lost by this delay, while its
pursuers held steadily on. Our own people were within a hundred and fifty
yards of us--the English less than twenty behind them. Why the latter did
not now fire, I do not actually know; but I suppose it to be, because
their muskets were all discharged, and the race was now too sharp to allow
their officer to re-load. Possibly he did not wish to take life
unnecessarily, the chances fast turning to his side.

I called out to Marble to stand by with a rope. The ship was slowly
drawing ahead, and there was no time to be lost. I then shouted to my
second-mate to be of good heart, and he answered with a cheer. The English
hurrahed, and we sent back the cry from the ship.

"Stand by in the boat, for the rope!" I cried--"Heave, Moses--Heave!"

Marble hove from the mizen chains, the rope was caught, and a motion of my
hand told Neb to keep the ship off, until everything drew. This was done,
and the rattling of the clew-garnet blocks announced that Diogenes was
hauling down the main-tack with the strength of a giant. The sail opened,
and Moses and I hauled in the sheet, until the ship felt the enormous
additional pressure of this broad breadth of canvass. At this instant
there was a cheer from the boat. Leaping upon the taffrail, I saw the men
erect, waving their hats, and looking toward the pursuing cutter, then
within a hundred feet of them, vainly attempting to come up with a boat
that was now dragging nearly bows under, and feeling all the strength of
our tow. The officer cheered his men to renewed exertion, and he began to
load a musket. At this moment the tow-line slipped from the thwart of the
boat, and we shot away, as it seemed to me, a hundred feet, on the send of
the very next sea. There was not time for the Americans to get seated at
their oars again, before the other cutter grappled. All that had been
gained was lost, and, after so near and close a chance of recovering the
most valuable portion of my crew, was I again left on the ocean with the
old four to manage the Dawn!

The English lieutenant knew his business too well, to abandon the ship
while there wa