rate be d--d. That was my consort rigged out with a black flag, and
mounted with four nine-pounders on one side, and five dummies on the
other. He blustered a bit, and swore, and took our type and our cabbages
(I complained to Downes ashore about the vagabond taking the vegetables),
and ordered us to leeward under all canvas, and we never saw him
again--not till he had shaved off his mustaches, and called on Downes to
condole and say the varmint had chased his ship fifty leagues out of her
course; but he had got clear of him. Downes complimented me publicly.
Says he, 'This skipper boarded the pirate single-handed; only he jumped
short, and fell between the two ships; and here he is by a miracle.' Then
he takes out his handkerchief, and flops his head on my shoulder. 'His
merciful preservation almost reconciles me to the loss of my gold,' says
the thundering crocodile. Cleared seventy thousand dollars, he did, out
of the Manhattan Marine, and gave the pirate and me but two hundred
pounds between us both."

"The _Rose?"_ said Wylie.

"What a hurry you are in! Pass the grog. Well, the _Rose;_ she lay off
Ushant. We canted her to wash the decks; lucky she had a careful
commander; not like Kempenfelt, whose eye was in his pocket, and his
fingers held the pen, so he went to the bottom, with Lord knows how many
men. I noticed the squalls came very sudden; so I sent most of my men
ashore and got the boats ready in case of accident. A squall did strike
her, and she was on her beam-ends in a moment. We pulled ashore with two
bales of silk by way of salvage, and sample of what warn't in her hold
when she settled down. We landed; and the Frenchmen were dancing about
with excitement. 'Captain,' says one, 'you have much sang fraw.'
'Insured, munseer,' says I. 'Bone,' says he.

"Then there was the _Antelope,_ lost in charge of a pilot off the
Hooghly. I knew the water as well as he did. We were on the port tack,
standing toward the shoal. Weather it, as we should have done next tack,
and I should have failed in my duty to my employers. Anything but that!
'Look out!' said I. 'Pilot, she fore-reaches in stays.' Pilot was
smoking; those sandhead pilots smoke in bed and asleep. He takes his
cigar out of his mouth for one moment. 'Ready about,' says he. 'Hands
'bout ship. Helm's a-lee. Raise tacks and sheets.' Round she was coming
like a top. Pilot smoking. Just as he was going to haul the mainsel
Somebody tripped against him, and shoved