"Pay no attention to what those old croakers are sayin'," Master Hackett replied quickly. "Sailormen always borrow trouble when there's little show for it, an' don't take the pains to work out the traverse that can be made. I hold that the 'luck of the _Essex_' is still with her, an' will be when we meet the Britishers yard-arm to yard-arm, or at whatever range our commander believes to be best. No man can go into an engagement an' do his full duty if he counts on bein' knocked out before it's over. Believe that you've _got_ to lick the other fellow, an' then you'll have an advantage." Master Hackett could not have said anything which would have caused me to believe more firmly that he, like many another on board the _Essex_, was convinced we had come to an end of our "luck," and I turned away abruptly rather than listen further. FOOTNOTES: [2] Benson J. Lossing. [3] J. Fenimore Cooper. CHAPTER XII. AT VALPARAISO. I forgot to set down the fact that we brought away from Nukuheva, or, I suppose I should say, from Madison Island, Mr. Maury and his companions. They had had quite enough of the place and the life there, beautiful though the first was, and enticing as the latter might be. It was said Captain Porter proposed that these men remain in the fort, since, conversant with the language as they were, communication with the natives would be more readily had. To such a proposition they declined flatly, and this fact should have been sufficient to show those of our crew who still hankered for the flesh-pots of Nukuheva, what would have been their condition of mind after having remained as long in that veritable garden of Eden. Our voyage had hardly more than begun, that is to say, it was on the second day after leaving port, when one of the marines brought word that Phil and I had been summoned to the quarter-deck. The wooden-headed fellow had not taken the trouble to find out why such an order was given, nor which of the officers had sent it; he only knew that his sergeant told him to summon us, and we two lads were in a fine state of excitement. Even Master Hackett looked grave when he questioned us closely as to whether we had made foolish talk which might have been overheard by the officers, or if our duties had been seriously neglected at any time lately. He was helping us make ready for the visit all the while he asked these questions, therefore no time was lost in such converse. We could not have neglected our duties, for, as a matter of fact, we had none while at sea save to answer the beck and call of every member of the ship's crew, and were so far beneath the officers in station that they did not even take the trouble to look at us, except when our services were required.