I went in with the rest, in hopes of finding plunder, and
for my desserts caught a Tartar. A large skate lay with its mouth open,
into which I thrust my forefinger, to drag him away; the animal was not
dead, and closing his jaws, divided my finger to the bone--this was the
only blood spilt on the occasion.

Though guilty myself, I was sorry to see the love of plunder prevail so
extensively among us. The sailors took away articles utterly useless to
them; and, after carrying them a certain distance, threw them down for
others equally useless. I have since often reflected how justly I was
punished for my fault; and how needlessly we inflicted the horrors of
war on those inoffensive and unhappy creatures. Our next attempt was of
a more serious nature, and productive of still greater calamity to the
unoffending and industrious, the usual victims of war, while the
instigators are reposing in safety on their down beds.

CHAPTER FIVE.

My life is spanned already:
...
Go with me, like good angels, to my end.
"HENRY VIII."

Danger, like an ague, subtly taints
Even then when we sit idly in the sun.
"TROILUS AND CRESSIDA."

I had never been able to regain the confidence and esteem of the first
lieutenant since the unfortunate affair of the mast-head. He was
certainly an excellent and a correct officer, too much so to overlook
what he considered a breach of honour. I therefore easily reconciled
myself to a separation which occurred very soon after. We chased a ship
into the Bay of Arcasson, when, as was customary, she sought safety
under a battery; and the captain, according to our custom, resolved to
cut her out. For this purpose the boats were manned and armed, and
every preparation made for the attack on the following morning. The
command of the expedition was given to the first lieutenant, who
accepted of it with cheerfulness, and retired to his bed in high
spirits, with the anticipation of the honour and profit which the dawn
of day would heap upon him. He was proverbially brave and cool in
action, so that the seamen followed him with confidence as to certain
victory. Whether any ill-omened dreams had disturbed his rest, or
whether any reflections on the difficult and dangerous nature of the
service had alarmed him, I could not tell; but in the morning we all
observed a remarkable change in his deportment. His ardour was gone; he
walked the deck with a slow and measured pace, apparently i