A three-cornered frame was knocked together by the carpenters, covered with canvas, and weighted by four-pound shot on one side. This was rigged to run from the spritsail-yard to an outrigger aft. It was dropped into the water forward, and then half the crew, trailing on to a small hawser made fast to the triangle as boys tie the string of a kite, hauled it quickly astern. This, acting as a paddle, sent us ahead in fine style, and as soon as the contrivance was well aft, it would be hoisted out of the water, run forward, and dropped again. The labor required to work such a machine was very great; but we made light of it on seeing that we were forging ahead faster than the stranger could sail, and, with the perspiration running in great streams down our bodies, we pulled and hauled with a will until, having come within about four miles of the ship, we counted on making a prize. By this time it could be seen that she was a British whaler, and an uncommonly fine craft. What was more, we began to understand that she, unlike many we had already overhauled, did not intend that we should capture her without paying the piper for our dancing. Her boats were got out to tow, and we could not work the canvas-paddle fast enough to hold our own in the way of speed. The remainder of our fleet were hull down astern, therefore it was useless to expect assistance from them,--a fact which caused Master Hackett to say despairingly:-- "I allow, lads, that we've come to an end of the 'luck' for the time bein'. That 'ere craft will muster more men accordin' to her size than we can." "Gettin' afraid, eh?" some one shouted scornfully; whereat Master Hackett replied with considerable show of spirit:-- "Not a bit of it, you lubber; but men count in the kind of a breeze we're tryin' to work up, an' towin' that ship with boats is child's play compared with what it would be to drag the _Essex_ through the water." I believed our men would begin squabbling among themselves, because of their disappointment in being thus prevented from taking a prize; but one of the lieutenants quickly put an end to the words by bawling out an order which showed us that the Britisher might not find towing a very profitable job. The word was passed to lower the gig and one of the whale-boats, and our men cheered lustily while this was being done, for they had a fairly good idea of what the captain was counting on doing. Lieutenant McKnight, my cousin Stephen, was announced as commander of the small expedition, and he began calling off the names of those whom he counted on taking with him, after word had been passed that each man, as he was thus chosen, should arm himself with a musket and plenty of powder and bullets. Master Hackett was the first selected, and then followed name after name so rapidly that I soon understood Phil and I would be left out of the business unless something was done quickly.