overboard."

This order was obeyed with the same celerity as the former, but not with
the same success. The captain now began to perceive, what was pretty
obvious to me before, namely, that by dropping the boat from the extreme
end of the vessel, where it hung like the pea on the steelyard, he did
good; the lightening her also of the two aftermost guns, hanging over
the dead wood of the vessel, was in like manner serviceable. But here
he should have stopped; the effect of throwing the next two guns
overboard was pernicious. The vessel fell by the head; her stern was
out of the water; she steered wild, yawed, and decreased in her rate of
sailing in a surprising manner.

"Cut away the bower anchors," said the captain.

The stoppers were cut, and the anchors dropped; the brig immediately
recovered herself from her oppression, as it were, and resumed her
former velocity; but the enemy had by this time made fearful approaches.
The only hope of the captain and his crew was in the darkness; and as
this darkness came on, my spirits decreased, for I greatly feared that
we should have escaped. The sun had sunk some time below the horizon:
the cloud of sail coming up astern of us began to be indistinct, and at
last disappeared altogether in a black squall: we saw no more of her for
nearly two hours.

I walked the deck with Green and the captain. The latter seemed in
great perturbation: he had hoped to make his fortune,--and retire from
the toils and cares of a sea-life in some snug corner of the Western
settlements, where he might cultivate a little farm, and lead the life
of an honest man; "for _this_ life," said he, "I am free to confess, is,
after all, little better than highway robbery."

Whether the moral essay of the captain was the effect of his present
danger, I will not pretend to say. I only know, that if the reader will
turn back to some parts of my history, he will find me very often in a
similar mood on similar occasions.

The two captains and the chief mate now retired, after leaving me
meditating by myself over the larboard gunwale, just before the main
rigging. The consultation seemed to be of great moment; and, as I
afterwards learned, was to decide what course they should steer, seeing
that they evidently lost sight of their pursuer. I felt all my hopes of
release vanish as I looked at them, and had made up my mind to go to New
York.

At this moment, a man came behind me, as if to get a pull at th