There was not one aboard the Avenger who did not realize what a narrow escape we had had from being forced to serve the king, and I dare venture to say that all hands drew a breath of relief as the pungy sailed beyond range of the big guns. "Where are you bound?" Jerry asked when he was sufficiently master of himself to note the course. "I reckon we'll run over to Pocomoke; we'll find oysters in that locality, such as they are, an' there's no need of running too far away from the market." "You're goin' to lend Bill Jepson a hand!" I cried joyfully, for it would have gone far toward breaking my heart to turn a deaf ear to the poor fellow's appeal. "That's just what I ain't so clear about," Darius replied thoughtfully. "Suppose we talk the matter over a bit." I called Jim Freeman and his friends aft, knowing full well what their opinion would be, and when we were together, repeated the story as I had told it to the old man. Then Darius explained that by helping a sailor to desert from one of the enemy's ships, we might get into serious difficulties, to say nothing of losing the sloop, and he also put it very plainly that in going outside the task set us, we stood a good chance of disappointing the commodore. It was Jerry who put the matter to my liking, when he said: "There are chances in favor of our bein' able to do this without interferin' with the work set for us by the commodore; but there isn't much hope for the sailor if he swims over to the Tangiers an' fails of findin' us waitin' for him. You say he'll be hanged if they catch him tryin' to desert. I don't believe I could sleep well nights if we should leave this place, an' he met with his death." All hands of us felt much as did Jerry, and after thinking the matter over a moment Darius said slowly, as if choosing well his words: "You lads must understand that I'm as hot for helpin' Bill as you can be; but we're doin' our little part in a war, an' at such times the life of one man don't count for very much when the good of others is concerned. To tell the truth, I couldn't really say what we ought'er do if I studied the thing over for four an' twenty hours. You lads own this 'ere pungy, an' I allow you have the right to say somethin' as to what shall be done with her, though you the same as put the craft out of your keepin' when you took a guarantee from the commodore that so many dollars should be paid in case she was lost. We'll consider it as settled, an' now get to work. Swing out the drags, an' we'll let the Britishers see that we're fishin', even though it ain't noways likely we'll get much here." I am free to confess that Darius' words made me a bit uneasy in mind regarding our deciding the matter, for I knew full well that he had spoken no more than the truth. It would be hard on Bill Jepson if we gave him the cold shoulder; but by trying to lend a hand we might be doing others a wrong.