“Just so,” said the captain of the letter of marque. “I’m afraid that is how it is going to be with me. When do you sail, Captain Deering?” “At the next tide,” answered the other. “Could you be prevailed upon to sail with the fleet?” inquired the other anxiously. The trim look of the Defence, the bright, well-kept guns and the brisk businesslike crew had taken his fancy. The schooner would be no mean addition to his fighting force, and he awaited the answer with interest. “If the fleet,” said Captain Deering, “sails when I do, and means to stand to its guns if the enemy is sighted, I’ll stick by you while I have a shot in the locker.” “I thank you,” said Captain Murray gratefully. “There is to be a meeting of the captains, upon the Revenge, this morning. We are going to arrange matters before sailing.” Now, although the merchant fleet numbered fifty sail and some of them were large vessels, very few of them carried guns. It was plain, therefore, that even this great collection of craft would be comparatively helpless under the fire of a few light, well armed, fast sailing vessels of the enemy. It was to effect some sort of a system of defence that the commodore had called the captains together, and the meeting upon the Revenge ended in terms of agreement being entered into by the armed ships, to support one another in case of attack. Signals were agreed upon for the entire fleet, and then all retired to their respective vessels to await the turning of the tide. In the gray of the morning the boatman’s whistle sounded through the Defence; all hands turned out to up anchor and make sail. “This will be our first experience at deep-water fighting,” said Tom to Nat Collins as they, with the remainder of the swamp-riders’ band, stood in the stern, ready to lend a hand when required. “You expect fighting, then?” said Nat. “To be sure. You see how sharply we were pursued in running in? Well, if they would exert themselves so much against a single schooner, it stands to reason that they will double their efforts against a huge, helpless fleet like this. The Chesapeake will see some gunnery this morning, and before the sun gets very high, in my opinion.” “And your opinion’s a good one, my lad,” said the gruff voice of Mr. Johnson, the schooner’s mate, who was passing just then. “There are some of the British lying outside there, ready and waiting for this fleet of old pine planks; and they’ll dance with delight when we show ourselves in open water.” There was a great flurry and noise in the vast gathering of merchantmen; their capstans clanked, their blocks and rigging creaked, their seamen chanted as they hauled upon the ropes. Then one after another they got under way; the Defence and the Revenge, followed by the other vessels carrying guns, led, under easy sail; the fleet as it passed down the bay and out into the Atlantic made an imposing appearance.