When we entered, the blushing girls, who had been beating Whiffle over his spindle shins, with their large garden fans, dashed through a side door, unable to contain their laughter, which we heard long after they had vanished, echoing through the lofty galleries of the house. Our captive knight being restored to us, we made our bows to the other ladies, who were expiring with laughter, and took our leave, with little Whiffle on our shoulders--the worthy Hebrew, whom I afterwards knew in London, sending his servant and gig with Captain Transom and myself to the wharf. There we tumbled ourselves into the boat, and got on board the Firebrand about three in the morning. We were by this time pretty well sobered; at four a gun was fired, the topsails were let fall, and sheeted home, and topgallant-sails set over them, the ship having previously been hove short; at half-past, the cable being right up and down--another gun the drums and fifes beat merrily, spin flew the capstan, tramp went the men that manned it. We were under weigh-- Eastward, ho!--for Santiago de Cuba. CHAPTER XII.--The Cruise o the Firebrand Shewing, amongst other pleasant matters well worthy of being recorded, how Thomas communed with his two Consciences. “Oh, who can tell, save he whose heart hath tried, And danced in triumph o’er the waters wide, The exulting sense, the pulse’s maddening play, That thrills the wanderer of that trackless way?” Byron, The Corsair, 1.9--16.