arboard-tack, but were
evidently making a great deal of lee-way. At last Captain Frankland,
finding that no progress could be made, hove the ship to. Jerry and I
had by this time got pretty well accustomed to knocking about, so that
we did not mind it. We suffered the greatest inconvenience at our
meals, because very often the soup which we had intended to put into our
mouths without signal or warning rolled away into the waistcoat-pockets
of our opposite neighbour. The doctor more than once suffered from
being the recipient of the contents of Jerry's plate as well as of mine;
but he took it very good-naturedly, and as he very soon returned us the
compliment, we were all square. Not long after dinner, while we were on
deck, Ben Yool, who was aloft, hailed to say that he saw bearing right
down for us a large brig, and, considering the gale, that she was
carrying a wonderful press of canvas. Her courses were brailed up, but
her topsails were set, while the top-gallant-sails and royals were
flying away in ribbons, except the main-royal, which, with the mast, had
gone over the side. We accordingly all looked out for her. We soon, as
we rose to the summit of a long rolling sea, caught sight of her,
plunging over the foaming waters and often half buried in them. There
was something very strange in her appearance, and in the way she came
tearing along through the waters. Captain Frankland looked at her
attentively through his glass.

"I cannot make it out," he exclaimed; "the people on board are either
all drunk or must have gone mad."

We were not kept long in suspense. On came the brig. She was a
fine-looking vessel; but such a sight met our eyes as I never expected
to see. Her deck was crowded with men, but instead of attempting to
shorten sail, they were all shrieking and fighting together. One party
seemed to have taken possession of the after-part of the vessel, the
rest were forward--while in the intermediate space several lay weltering
in their blood. Now one party would rush forward and meet the other in
the waist, and then after a desperate struggle one would retreat before
the other. Thus they continued as long as they remained in sight. It
appeared, from the glimpse we got of them as they drove by, that the
crew had risen against their officers, who were fighting to regain the
upper hand. What they were it was difficult to say, but their
appearance bespoke them to be a great set of ruffians. I a