On some day in the near future, when the wind should be strong and favorable, we were to put out as if willing to meet both the Britishers. The _Essex_ could outsail them, as had been proven several times already, and she was to run two or three leagues off the coast, knowing full well that the enemy would follow. When we were hull down in the distance, the _Essex Junior_ would get under way, and do her prettiest at doubling the Horn without running afoul of a British frigate. Surely, it seemed as if that plan would work without a hitch, so our old sea-dogs argued, for the _Phoebe_ and _Cherub_ must follow us, since neither of them was willing to meet us singly, and they could not run the chance of waiting for the _Junior_, because we might be trying to save our own skins, which would not seem improbable in view of the fact that the frigate was the more valuable ship of the two. By such a course we would not be bringing the matter to an issue as far as the _Essex_ was concerned; but it would open the way for the _Junior_ to make a home port and give tidings of us who were ready to venture all rather than have it believed we dared not stand up to a ship of our size, or even two of them. Now we thought and talked of nothing save the scheme to outwit the Britisher, and it is safe to say that never a crew watched the sky more intently than did we, for a strong, favoring wind was to be the signal for getting under way, as we knew by this time from the officers as well as the marines. We were to make a venture which might bring us to grief; but we believed firmly that the _Junior_ would get safely out of the scrape. FOOTNOTE: [4] J. Fenimore Cooper. CHAPTER XIV. THE BATTLE. We were not kept long watching the weather, nor did we play the ruse exactly in the same manner which had been determined upon, as will be seen shortly. It seems, as I afterward learned, that when the eavesdropping marines announced to us of the gun-deck that the scheme had been decided upon, our officers were as yet only discussing it. To be precise, as one should be while setting down facts which go to the making up of history, it was not until the afternoon of March 27 when Captain Porter came to the conclusion that, under the circumstances, there was nothing better to be done than give the _Essex Junior_ an opportunity to slip out of the harbor while we were leading the Britishers a long chase seaward. In case the _Junior_ got safely off, we would not soon again be troubled with Oliver Benson; for, as Master Hackett declared, there was every reason now why he should remain where he was, and, if all went right with us Americans, he would soon find himself in a prison from which he could not depart at will.