I observed that we were on board the Narcissus, and thus understood that Darius had made no mistake when he gave that name to the ship, therefore my admiration for the old man's knowledge of nautical matters increased, for only an experienced seaman could have thus recognized a craft he had seen but once before. By setting down so much when our business was concluded, it would appear as if we loafed on the deck of the ship some time, whereas we were given to understand that our room was better than our company immediately the transaction was completed, and in a very few seconds after the officers allowed Jerry and I to cease the labor of shucking, we were aboard the Avenger, getting under way. "Look at the name they've given that old bargee!" one of the gentlemen on the quarter-deck cried with a laugh as the pungy swung around until the letters on her stern could be read. "These Americans may be hot for vengeance; but I take notice that they're ready to feed the enemy if there's a dollar to be made." All this seemed very funny to the Britishers, and they cracked many a quip and joke at our expense, as I guessed by the roars of laughter which could be heard so long as we were within earshot. Darius came on deck once we had filled away; but he kept his hat pulled well down over his face as he walked aft from the main-hatch, and when he had taken the tiller I asked: "What were you afraid of that you kept under cover so close?" "It was a mighty snug shave, lad," he replied with a long indrawing of the breath. "I knew one of the men on the forecastle deck, 'cause I was shipmate with him on the privateer Honest Ben, when Joshua Barney was in command. I'm not sayin' that he'd given me away; but I feared he might sing out on seein' me." "What is his name?" "Bill Jepson. He's a Baltimore man; but whether he's there owin' to fallin' in with a press-gang, or on account of his own free will, it's hard to say, though I never believed Bill would willingly have served the king." "He wants you to be to the eastward of the Tangiers this night," I said, and the old man started as if he had been struck by a bullet. "How do you know, lad?" Then I told him when the sailor had had speech with me, and again repeated the message. "That shows as how poor Bill was pressed into the service," Darius said sympathetically, "an' now he's countin' that an old shipmate will lend a hand." "Which of course you will do!" I cried hotly. "We must make some kind of a turn to favor him; but we're here on the commodore's business, an' the question is whether we'll be warranted in doin' what may turn all the plans upside down. Bill reckons to slip over the side, an' swim ashore. If we're roundabout here, the Britishers will count it for certain that we had a hand in the desertion, an' the Avenger may be taken from us before we've got well into our work. The king's officers ain't noways easy in handlin' them as tries to get the best of 'em."