How our men cheered when we were on board the third prize without so much as a scratch! It was something to boast of, this taking three fine ships in one day, and again did it appear as if the "luck of the _Essex_" was an established fact. Lieutenant Downes did not think it necessary to pull back to the frigate now that the work was finished and there did not appear to be anything of importance on hand. The crews were set about this trifling duty or that, and we waited until sunset for a wind, when the prizes were sailed down to where the flagship lay close alongside the _Barclay_ and the _Montezuma_. It was a veritable fleet which Captain Porter now had under his command, and the only drawback was the number of prisoners we were forced to look after; but that was a trifling matter when one considered it as the only cost of four fine ships. Master Hackett thought it proper to compliment Phil and me on our manliness in applying for permission to go with Lieutenant Downes at a time when it seemed positive there was hot work ahead, and I felt much as though I was acting a lie when I remained silent while the old man was bestowing so much praise upon us. If he had known all that was in our hearts as we were pulling toward the whalers, I question if he would so much as have spoken to us again. Now we two, Phil and I, began to ask ourselves if we were regularly drafted to Mr. Downes's fleet, or whether we had been taken for that one cruise only; and, ashamed though I should be to confess it, there was a great hope in my heart that in the future we would be forced to remain on board the _Essex_ when there was any more cutting out to be done. Before another day had come to an end we of the gun-deck learned, through one of the marines, as a matter of course, that Captain Porter had decided to equip the _Georgiana_ as a cruiser, with Lieutenant Downes as commander. By so doing he would have an able assistant in searching for the enemy, and also a consort on which the crew of the _Essex_ might find refuge in case of any serious injury to the frigate. And now it was that, remaining at sea as if we were in dock, the work of making the fleet ready for service was begun; and the old shellbacks insisted that by so doing we were adding to the marvellous achievements of our ship. She had sailed halfway around the world, depending upon the enemy for supplies, going where there could be no possibility of receiving assistance in case she was overtaken by disaster,--which was something that had never been attempted before,--and now we were to eclipse even that feat by remodelling the enemy's merchantmen into war vessels while in mid-ocean, using for the purpose supplies we had just captured. If ever there was a case of living on the enemy, ours surely was this situation.