owerful a broadside as she could command, immediately
striking her flag. The only effect of her fire was to frighten poor
John, who had rashly remained upon deck. That courageous personage
fell upon his face, so suddenly, that his friend, Dick Halyard ran to
him, really supposing he was hit; there was, however, no other
expression than that of fear in the upturned countenance of John.

"O, lud, Dick! you are safe--how many are killed?"

"You are the only one, I believe, John."

"Me? I aint hit, be I?"

"Pshaw, John, get up," said Mr. Williams, approaching him angrily;
"don't you see everybody is laughing at you?"

John rose slowly, anxiously eyeing the merchantman, as if ready to
dodge the first flash.

"A fortunate escape, Dick."

"Yes, another adventure to tell the girls in Lonnon."

"Don't now, Dick."

The merchantman was richly laden, and the honest captain, who
doubtless had his own interest in her cargo, actually shed tears as he
saw the greater portion of it removed to the privateer. The crew of
the latter could not but pity his distress, but they thought, and none
could dispute the truth, that an English cruiser would have hardly
been moved by the sorrow and complaints of one of their own captains,
if he should fall into his hands. It was, moreover, in accordance with
the law and usage of nations at war, and the English captain felt that
he was kindly dealt with, when informed that he would be allowed to
depart with his vessel, on condition of conveying a number of his own
countrymen to their native shore. He contented himself, therefore,
with cursing the war, and all who caused it. As the peaceful mariner,
he neither knew why the two nations were at war, nor could he feel the
justice of any laws which involved him in ruin while quietly following
his avocation, content to let others alone if the same privilege could
be extended to him.

Strong arguments have indeed been urged against the _right_ of the
system of privateering! It is no part of our task either to defend or
to condemn it, yet it would seem evident that, looking at it as a
means of crippling an enemy more efficacious than any other that can
be devised, thereby hastening a return to peace, it cannot in its
broadest sense be deemed unjust or cruel. Private individuals must
suffer in every war, and fortune had ordained that the poor
merchantman should be one of them. It would doubtless have been
difficult to have persuaded him that he was