u see, Dick, taint our business to fight 'em if they was
here; this ship belongs to the 'Mericans, and we haint got to fight
for them, it's their own look out."

"Turn in, John."

"Thunder! if this 'ere was an English ship you'd a seen me going into
'em."

"John, I say, don't you tell me any thing more about your fighting the
pirates, 'cause if you do, I'll tell the whole crew how I frightened
you."

"Say nothing, Dick, and I wont lie to you any more."

"Ha! ha! ha!"

Dick left John to his repose, and returned to the deck much pleased
with the success of his stratagem.

"Confounded mean, that 'are, in Dick Halyard," thought John, as he
tumbled into his hammock again. "Now I never would a served him
so--there aint nothing like true friendship in this world--at any rate
there aint none out to sea--but never mind, I can tell the story to
the girls in Lonnon, if I ever get there, and there wont be nobody to
make a fool of me then--pirates, crikey! who cares, I aint afraid of
'em."

And John went to sleep, dreaming that he was sailing on a plank again,
with any quantity of sharks following in his wake.

After several days a fine breeze filled the sails of the Raker; it did
not come in consequence of the vast amount of grumbling, and perhaps
of swearing, which the uneasy tars had given vent to, but from
whatever cause it filled them with joy, and every countenance among
them was lighted with pleasure. Captain Greene had so far recovered as
to be able to reach the deck of his brig, and as his smart little
craft walked off before the wind, he sat on the quarter-deck with a
pleasant smile upon his weather-beaten countenance, conversing with
Captain Horton and Mr. Williams. Each of the three old gentlemen held
a short pipe in his mouth, and all seemed to be decidedly enjoying
themselves.

"I say, Captain Greene," exclaimed the commander of the lost
merchantman, "nobody would think our two countries were at war to see
us now," and the worthy tar blew a long column of smoke from his mouth
and laughed merrily.

"Truly not, and it don't seem more than half natural that we should
be."

"Why, we English all think that the Americans cherish feelings of
hatred toward us."

"Not a bit of it sir--there is, on the contrary, a strong feeling of
attachment among us all for our mother country."

"Well, what are you fighting us for now then?"

"Because we think we have been wronged; your naval officers have time
and again