“But surely he couldn’t have known how many ships were here, else it would have been of retreat rather than spyin’, that had a place in his mind.” “You can set it down as a fact that he knew even more than we do now, an’ I shall be way out of my reckonin’ if our forces run away without makin’ some show of a stand. Don’t get it inter your head that all these are ships of war! I can make out transports an’ store-ships more than enough to balance the vessels of the navy. ’Cordin’ to the orders received, I’m of the mind that we should stand straight down to the Hook, if so be they let us get that far, takin’ careful note of the guns that may be brought to bear on the city.” It only needed this sharp speech from Abel Grant to bring me to my senses, and in a twinkling I understood that what he said was true. But now I began to have a good idea of what General Putnam had meant, when he spoke of the danger which we would encounter. There it was before us, good and plenty, and I was forced to swallow hard in order to force down the big lump which timorousness had sent into my throat as we stood on, heading directly for the biggest frigate. “Don’t be afraid to look at ’em,” the “admiral” said in a whisper, although we were not yet come within earshot of the sentries. “If we were here to fish, an’ nothin’ more, it is only natural that our eyes would be bulgin’ in surprise, for I question if so big a fleet ever before has been seen in these waters.” Without Abel Grant I am afraid our cruise would have come to a sudden end, for verily I was not fit to act the part of leader when before me was such a force of the enemy, and one glance at Sam was sufficient to show that he believed the Minute Boys were getting beyond their depth. Abraham Decker was the only member of our company, with the exception of Abel Grant, who did not appear frightened, and I made up my mind then and there that if we ever succeeded in returning from this venture, he, not me, should be the captain of our party. However, I had sufficient wit remaining to stare about me like a simple, as the “admiral” had suggested, and we bore down on the frigate at a snail’s pace, for the wind had flattened out considerably, while the tide was against us. We were nearly abreast the enormous vessel with her row upon row of ports, from each of which protruded a gun, before the enemy apparently gave any heed to us, and then we were hailed from the quarter-deck by some petty officer. “Ahoy on the sloop!” “Ay, ay, sir!” Abel Grant replied with a more pronounced drawl than ever. “Sheer in this way and give an account of yourselves!” “I don’t allow as we’ve got very much of a story to tell,” Abel replied as he brought the sloop around ever so slightly; “but you shall hear what there is of it, if so be you’re achin’ for news.” “Where are you bound?” the officer asked while we were slowly drifting down on the frigate’s quarter. “After bluefish, sir.”