United States -- History -- Revolution, 1775-1783 -- Fiction
Saying this I rushed on deck. I could just see the Crab astern of us.
The mainsail being handed, we hove the vessel to, under her
fore-staysail. She felt far more easy than she had done, going free,
and with the prize in tow. Still I never spent a more anxious night. I
did not either forget friend Cobb's kind intentions by me, and I hinted
to him that I remembered them. At length daylight came, and a dark
cloudy sky hung over a dull leaden sea. I looked anxiously around for
the prize. She had drifted away some three miles to leeward of us. I
would rather not have been nearer the coast than we were. Still I bore
down to her. O'Driscoll was nowhere to be seen. A cheery reply from
old Grampus assured me that all was right. He, moreover, volunteered to
send a hawser aboard of us. I accordingly hove-to again on his
weather-bow. A boat was lowered from the Crab, manned by the prisoners,
and in a short time, though not without risk to the boat's crew, we had
the prize once more in tow.
"I'll not forget you for this, my lads," I sang out.
Captain Cobb looked daggers at his people, but I took care that he
should hold no communication with them.
My fair passengers, I found, had not suffered during the night. As the
schooner, when hove-to, rode easily, they fancied that the weather had
improved, and were perfectly satisfied. When we once more made sail,
although there really was less wind and sea, they fancied that the
weather had become worse, and I had some difficulty in assuring them to
the contrary. The subject which caused me the most anxiety was the
quantity of water the vessel was making. It became, therefore,
necessary to man the pumps, and I was not sorry to have a good excuse
for setting Captain Cobb and his people to labour at them. The master,
especially, did not like it, and showed signs of disobedience.
"Come, come, my friend," said I; "I have been somewhat lenient with you.
I might have kept you in irons, had I not run you up to the yard-arm,
in return for the trick you wished to play with me."
"Well, now, mister, how did you find all that out?" quoth my friend,
looking me coolly in the face.
"Never mind," I answered, tickled by his impudence. "Man the pumps."
And I made him work away, as he deserved, as long as he could stand. I
kept a look-out for the Lady Parker, and felt not a little anxious as to
what had become of her. I should have liked to have passed much more of
my time than I did in the cabin, but I was afraid of intruding on my
passengers. I believe they fully appreciated my delicacy. Several
times during the day Miss Carlyon ventured on deck, and seemed to enjoy
gazing on the stormy, foam-crested seas. I stood by her side and
supported her as the little vessel plunged into the troughs, and rose
again buoyantly to their summits.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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