We were to enter the port as an Englishman with a prize, and there get such information as might be useful. It was my cousin Stephen who went ashore with a boat's crew, never heeding the fact that both Phil and I were eager to go with him; and when he came out, two hours later, signals were shown for both vessels to gain an offing. As we on the gun-deck afterward learned, the fact that the _Essex_ was so far from home had not yet been made known along the coast, and our commander was not the kind of a man to dawdle in port when he might be out attending to business. Once we had gained a good offing, the officers and crew of the _Barclay_ were given the opportunity to go on board their own craft; but nearly all of them decided to remain with us, and some of our people were drafted to man her. It seems, as we soon came to know, that the captain of the _Barclay_ proposed that his ship cruise with us, acting as pilot to point out the enemy, and this proposition was accepted. Captain Porter now had a fleet of two ships, and with them he stretched off the coast to the northward and westward, hunting for whatsoever might be picked up in the way of Britishers. On that night, when our cruise was begun from a new point of departure, the sea lawyers began to argue as to what should be done now we were on profitable grounds, and before it was time to turn in they had settled to their own satisfaction all that our commander should or should not do. I was tired with hearing their tongues wag, and had turned to go further aft where the chin music was not so loud, when Phil came up, the expression on his face telling plainly that he had some important matter in mind. "You're to go to your cousin to-morrow morning, Ezra, and beg of him that we be given permission to join Lieutenant Downes's fleet. It is not fair that we should miss all the most exciting portion of the work by being forced to remain aboard the _Essex_ when there are prizes to be captured." "It may be exciting enough if we fall afoul of a Britisher who is in trim to fight," I said grimly, not minded to let him know how sore my heart was because we had not been selected by Lieutenant Downes when he drafted his crew. "Master Hackett says we won't see a real fight this side of Cape Horn, because there's nothing here with metal enough to stand us off, except the British 64-gun _Standard_, and it's reported that she has already left Lima, bound for England." "We may find some craft that will show her teeth, despite all Master Hackett says," I replied, little dreaming how nearly the truth I was speaking. CHAPTER V. THE NEW FLEET.