owing that he could hear very well even though the hatch was closed:

"The 'old idiot' don't want any truck with boys, so keep off or I'll
make it hot for you!"

"Listen to me, shipmate, and then perhaps you'll sing a different
tune," I said, going close to the companion-way where it might not be
necessary to raise my voice. "We are a couple of oystermen from
Benedict, in trouble, and are looking for some one to lend a hand."

"Tell me your names?"

I gave the desired information, and added:

"We owned the pungy Avenger, which was burned at Pig Point when the
enemy came up the river."

The hatch was opened in a twinkling, and when we descended to the
cuddy I was both surprised and overjoyed by seeing Robert Hanaford, an
oysterman from St. Leonard's bay.

"Shut that hatch," he said nervously, and Jerry did as he was bidden.
"I got caught in the river, like a fool, an' am now expectin' the
bloomin' Britishers will burn the craft when they fall short of like
amusement in the city. Tell me how you happened to be here?"

I told him so much of our story as seemed necessary, and when I was
come to the retreat from Bladensburg, he said grumpily:

"I reckon you two lads an' Darius Thorpe are bigger fools than I am.
It was accident that brought me into this scrape, whereas you got into
a muss with your eyes wide open. Where's Darius?"

"The Britishers are holding him prisoner, and count on sending him
down to the fleet, I suppose."

"He'll rot there, unless he offers to serve the king, in which case,
seein's how the enemy needs good sailors, they'll give him a show that
a dog wouldn't welcome."

"Did you ever run across Bill Jepson from Baltimore?" I asked at
random, not knowing exactly how to lead up to the request for a rope.

"Ay, that I have, lad. Bill an' me run on this same pungy more'n two
years. I've heard it said that one of the king's press gangs gathered
him in."

Then I told the captain how we had helped Bill to desert, and wound up
the story by sayin:

"Bill is a prisoner with Darius, and will be hung when the Britishers
learn who he is. There's a show to help both the sailors out of the
scrape; but we're needing six or eight fathom of good manilla rope,
an' haven't got the money with which to buy it."

"How do you count on usin' it?" and Captain Hanaford leaned forward
in a manner which told that he was thoroughly excited.

Then I told him all we had accomplished that morning, and explained
wha