hore with my gang. As
the best men are always chosen for posts of danger, I shall leave you in
charge of the _Buss_ with two hands--Smart and Bowden;--both stanch
fellows as you know."

"I'm your servant, sir," said Teddy, "only if the best men are wanted
here, hadn't you better stop yourself, an' I'll take the rest ashore?"

Richardson did not see his way to this, though he acknowledged the
compliment, and that evening Teddy found himself in command of the
despised _Buss_, with half a gale blowing, and, as he observed, "more
where that came from."

Teddy was right, "more" did come, and kept him and his mates idle
prisoners for a week. Indeed the whole of that month had been so stormy
that from the 16th to the 30th only twenty hours' work had been done on
the Rock.

During six days the three men stuck to their post, but at the end of
that time Teddy called a council of war.

"Gintlemen," said he, "(for men in our pursition must be purlite to sich
other), it's our dooty to stick by this here tub so long's it's of any
use to do so; but as she seems to be well able to look after herself,
an' our purvisions has come down to the last ounce, it's my opinion--
founded on profound meditations over me last pipe--that we'd better go
ashore."

To this speech John Bowden replied "I'm agreeable, for it's not my dooty
to starve myself."

William Smart, however, intimated that he was "_dis_agreeable."

"Because," said he, "its blowin' great guns, an' looks as if it meant to
go on, which is not a state of weather suitable for goin' over a dozen
miles of sea in a small open boat, without even a mast or a rag of sail
to bless herself with."

"Pooh!" exclaimed Maroon, contemptuously; "a blanket'll make the best of
sails."

"Ay," added Bowden, "and an oar will do well enough for a mast--anyhow
we'll try, for most votes carry in all well-regulated meetin's."

This plan, although attended with considerable danger, was finally
agreed to, and forthwith acted on.

That afternoon the men on shore observed a very Robinson-Crusoe-like
boat coming in from the sea with an oar-mast and a blanket-sail, from
which landed "Captain" Teddy Maroon and his two mates. The same
evening, however, the wind moderated and shifted a little, so that the
relief boat, with provisions and the gang of men whose turn it was to do
duty in the store-ship, succeeded in getting off and reaching their
_Buss_ in safety.

The weather became so bad soon aft