follows:

My irons were slipped, and I squeezed myself between the gun and the side
of the port, where I hung by my hands, against the ship's side. I might be
seen, or I might not, caring little for the result. I was not seen by any
but Marble and Neb, the former of whom caught me by the legs, as he passed
beneath, and whispering to me to lie down in the bottom of the boat, he
assisted me into the cutter. We actually rubbed against the captain's gig,
as it was hauling up to the gangway; but no one suspected what had just
taken place. This gig was the only one of the Speedy's boats that was in
the water, at that hour, it having just been lowered to carry the captain
ashore. In another minute we had dropped astern, Neb holding on by a
boat-hook to one of the rudder-chains. Here we lay, until the gig pulled
round, close to us, taking the direction toward the usual landing, with
the captain of the Speedy in her.

In two minutes the gig was out of sight, and Marble whispered to Neb to
let go his hold. This was promptly done, when the boat of the prize began
to drift from the ship, swept by a powerful tide, and impelled by a stiff
breeze. No one paid any heed to us, everybody's thoughts being occupied
with the shore and the arrival at such a moment. The time was fortunate in
another particular: Lord Harry Dermond was a vigilant and good officer:
but his first-lieutenant was what is called on board ship "a poor devil;"
a phrase that is sufficiently significant; and the moment a vigilant
captain's back is turned, there is a certain ease and neglect in a vessel
that has an indifferent first-lieutenant. Every one feels at liberty to do
more as he pleases, than has been his wont; and where there is a divided
responsibility of this nature, few perform more duty than they can help.
When "the cat is away, the mice come out to play."

At all events, our boat continued to drop astern unobserved, until the
ship itself became very faintly visible to us. I arose as soon as we were
fifty feet from the rudder, and I assumed the direction of affairs as soon
as on my feet. There were a mast and a lugg-sail in the boat, and we
stepped the former and set the last, as soon as far enough from the Speedy
to be certain we could not be seen. Putting the helm up, sufficiently to
bring the wind on the quarter, I then stood directly out to sea. All this
was accomplished in less than five minutes, by means of what the French
call a sudden inspiration!