“Then it’ll be a case of drawin’ lots, so’s to have everythin’ ready for a quick move,” Abel announced, and to this I agreed as the only fair plan, whereupon Abraham said with considerable show of irritation, as if believing it was really his right to stay by the sloop: “Let Eph take a couple of splinters, one longer than the other, an’ he who draws the shortest shall stay behind. I’m not minded to worry over this thing a great while, so s’pose you get to work.” I went into the cabin, where I might make ready for the drawing without chance of being seen, and when the two fragments of wood were secure in my hand, with no sign about them to show which was the shortest, I came into the cockpit, when Abraham said: “I would rather cut off one of my fingers than set out for New York while there’s a chance that they who are left behind may be in big danger, yet you shall make the first choice, Sam, an’ I’ll abide by the result without a whimper.” “I’m no more keen to go than are you; but we can’t squabble over it all day, so here goes,” and, without seeming to look at the bits of wood, Sam drew out one from my hand. Then I showed the other, and Abe gave a great cry of joy, for Sam held that one which was a full inch longer than the other. “There’s no use cryin’ over spilled milk,” Abel Grant said, as if he would comfort the disconsolate looking Sam. “If it’s danger you’re hankerin’ for, I’m allowin’ that he who goes will run up against it plenty and hard, for who’s to say that Luther Stedman, burnin’ to get square because of your deliverin’ him up as a prisoner, won’t guess that, since it’s likely we’ve come here as spies, this same move will be made. It wouldn’t need that a man should be overly bright to come to that conclusion, an’ you can make up your mind he’d try to cut the messenger off. Besides, with this ’ere fleet so close at hand, the Tories on the island will make matters hot for any Whig who comes their way.” Sam’s face brightened as the matter was thus presented, and even before Abel Grant ceased speaking I came to believe that the messenger might be in even more danger than we whom he left behind, for we could put to sea if necessary to avoid capture, while he must trust wholly to his own legs. Now that the decision had been made Abel Grant called Sam aft, and pointed out to him this frigate or that sloop-of-war, urging that he so fix in his mind the general appearance of the fleet that he could set before the general a fair idea of what he had seen, and all the while we were drawing nearer and nearer to the lee of Coney Island. By this time we were so far from the Britishers that there was little chance of being overhauled while we appeared to be honest fishermen seeking a harbor for the night, and it seemed certain that for twelve hours at least we might count on doing very much as pleased us.