And now comes the odd part of the capture: From the time our ship had brought her well in sight the men declared that she had a familiar look; and when finally she came to within half a mile of us, Master Hackett cried joyously:-- "We haven't outrun our luck, an' that's a fact! Yonder craft is the same we lost in the squall--the one that gave us such a long job with nothin' but a few broken oars to show for it!" That the old seaman had spoken only the truth we all understood now it had been suggested; the ship lying under our lee was none other than the last we had chased and lost, but only to find again on this day when we were growing discouraged with much useless cruising. The _Hammond_ proved to be a rich prize for us just at that time, for she had on board a large supply of prime beef, pork, bread, wood, and water, and none of such stores would be wasted. The ammunition was in good condition, but not of such quantity as to satisfy us; however, half a loaf is better than none at all, and after taking the prisoners on board the _Essex_, leaving a small prize crew to handle the new addition to our fleet, we made sail for Banks's Bay. We had hardly more than arrived there and overhauled the _Hammond_, than the _Essex Junior_ came into port on her return from Valparaiso, where she had left the prizes to be sold. She reported that five or six heavy frigates had been sent out from England to search for us, and, what seemed of more importance at the time, that the Chilian government was no longer as friendly to us as when we left port. The Britishers had most likely been threatening them. "Well," Master Hackett said deliberately, when the news I have set down above was made known on the gun-deck, "if we had all the powder that our fleet needs, I reckon we could afford to wait for the Britishers, an', what's more, flog the whole boilin' of 'em when they come. But seein's how we ain't in condition for heavy work, it's bound to be a case of twistin' an' turnin' till we can clean up our job of capturin' whalers." "What then, Master Hackett?" Phil asked. "What then, lad? Why, I reckon we'll have to take our medicine like little men; an' in the swallowin' of it we'll know what British prison ships are like." "Then you don't believe we can double the Horn without coming upon some of them?" I asked, my spine growing chilly for an instant. "I'm allowin' that the old frigate will see her finish this side the cape, for it ain't good sense to believe she can fight her way through. I've said all along that the Britishers were bound to smash us some day, 'cause it don't stand to reason a nation what claims to rule the sea can afford to let a little craft like ours play hob with 'em in such fashion as we've been doin'. For the sake of their reputation they've got to gather us in."