"Unless you had been given an opportunity of showing what you could do, a commission would never have come your way." "Now we are getting at the real reason for this request!" he exclaimed cheerily. "You and Robbins believe that by taking part in one sharp engagement rapid advancement is assured?" "We never will advance, sir, until we have shown ourselves worthy, and there is no great chance of doing good work while we loiter on board when others are paving their way to a commission." "You speak right sensibly, Cousin Ezra," he said, in a tone which went straight to my heart; for it proved that he had not forgotten the ties of kinship which bound us, even though he was so much higher in station. "I will do all I may properly to persuade Mr. Downes to take you under his wing. If I succeed, remember that I would be equally shamed if you showed the white feather." "None of the McKnights have ever done anything of the kind, sir, and it's not likely your cousin would be the first to write himself down a coward." "I begin to believe that you're of the right sort, Ezra; and if you don't make your way in the navy, it won't be because I haven't done my share toward it." Surely, a lad could not ask for a fairer promise than that; and after saluting properly I went forward, feeling remarkably well pleased with myself. I found Phil on the forecastle-deck, and the lad was so overjoyed by the news, having come to believe I would never dare ask such a favor of my cousin, that he would have kissed me then and there, but I sprang back in time to prevent an exhibition which must have made us the laughing-stock of all our messmates. From this time on it can well be imagined that we watched the chase with even more of interest than would ordinarily have been displayed, and Phil said again and again that he hoped the wind would die away, so we might be called to the boats. If all his wishes could have been granted so quickly, he might have counted himself the most fortunate lad in all the world. We rapidly overhauled the ship first sighted, and it was no more than nine o'clock in the morning when we came within half a mile, pitching a shot across her bows which brought her to in short order. The _Essex_ was run within hailing distance, and then we learned that our prize was the British whaleship _Montezuma_, with fourteen hundred barrels of oil on board. We could not afford to spend very much time on her because the other two craft were near at hand, and without further ceremony than that of hailing to learn who she was, a prize crew was called away to board her. We waited only long enough to make certain our men were not opposed when they went over the rail, and then the _Essex_ was headed for the other ships, both of whom were clawing off at the best possible speed.