"We're all resolved, Mr. Royle," said he in a pretty civil voice, "and our wotes is for New Orleans. Plenty of wessels is wrecked in the Gulf of Mexico, as I've heerd tell; and when we're about fifty miles off, you'll say so, and give us the bearings of the Mississippi, and we'll not trouble you any more." "How's her head?" I asked the man at the wheel. "Sou'-west," he replied. "Keep her away," I exclaimed, for the weather-leeches were flat. "What's our true course for New Orleans?" asked the carpenter suspiciously. "Stop a bit and I'll show you," I answered, and went below to the captain's cabin to get the chart. "Steward!" I called. "Yes, sir," replied the miserable whining voice. It was still too dark for me to see the man. "Make your mind easy--they'll not hurt you," I said. He started up and rushed towards me like a madman. "May God in heaven bless you!" he cried, delirious with joy. "Hold off!" I exclaimed, keeping him away with my outstretched hand. "Get your wits about you and remain here for the present. Don't let them hear you, and don't show yourself until I call you." I could have said nothing better to repress his violent manifestations of delight; for he at once went cowering again into the gloom of the corner. I struck a wax match, and after a short search found the chart of the North Atlantic upon which the ship's course, so far as she had gone up to noon on the preceding day, was pricked off. I took this on deck, spread it on the skylight and showed our whereabouts to the men. "Our course," said I, "is south-west and by west." They bent their faces over the chart, studying it curiously. "Are you satisfied, Mr. Stevens?" I asked him. "Oh, I suppose it's all right," answered he. "Slacken away the lee-braces," I said. "Put your helm up" (to the man at the wheel). The men went tumbling off the poop to man the braces, and in a few minutes we were making a fair wind. Both the carpenter and the boatswain remained on the poop. "Some hands lay aloft and loose the fore and main top-gallant sails!" I called out. And turning to the carpenter: "Mr. Stevens," I said, "I'll navigate this ship for you and your mates to within fifty miles off the mouths of the Mississippi, as you wish; but on the conditions I have already named. Do you remember?" "Oh yes," he growled. "We've done enough--too much, I dessay, though not more than the beggars desarved. All that we want is to get out o' this cursed wessel." "Very well," I said. "But I won't undertake to pilot this ship safely unless my orders are obeyed." "The men are quite willin' to obey you, so long as you're true to 'em," he rejoined. "You may do what you like with the cuddy stores; though if you take my advice you will let the steward serve them out in the regular way, that they may last; otherwise you will eat them all up before we reach our journey's end, and have to fall back upon the bad provisions. But I must have control of the spirits."