more than you cared about," said he.

"Bedad, and that we did," said I. "And, my dear man, I wish you would
set a new example and give us just that much."

This I said in the Irish way, about which there is allowed to be
something very engaging. It's a remarkable thing, and a testimony to the
love with which our nation is regarded, that this address scarce ever
fails in a handsome fellow. I cannot tell how often I have seen a
private soldier escape the horse, or a beggar wheedle out a good alms,
by a touch of the brogue. And, indeed, as soon as the Albanian had
laughed at me I was pretty much at rest. Even then, however, he made
many conditions, and--for one thing--took away our arms, before he
suffered us aboard; which was the signal to cast off; so that in a
moment after we were gliding down the bay with a good breeze, and
blessing the name of God for our deliverance. Almost in the mouth of the
estuary, we passed the cruiser, and a little after the poor _Sarah_ with
her prize crew; and these were both sights to make us tremble. The
Bermudan seemed a very safe place to be in, and our bold stroke to have
been fortunately played, when we were thus reminded of the case of our
companions. For all that, we had only exchanged traps, jumped out of the
frying-pan into the fire, run from the yard-arm to the block, and
escaped the open hostility of the man-of-war to lie at the mercy of the
doubtful faith of our Albanian merchant.

From many circumstances, it chanced we were safer than we could have
dared to hope. The town of Albany was at that time much concerned in
contraband trade across the desert with the Indians and the French.
This, as it was highly illegal, relaxed their loyalty, and as it brought
them in relation with the politest people on the earth, divided even
their sympathies. In short, they were like all the smugglers in the
world, spies and agents ready-made for either party. Our Albanian,
besides, was a very honest man indeed, and very greedy; and, to crown
our luck, he conceived a great delight in our society. Before we had
reached the town of New York we had come to a full agreement, that he
should carry us as far as Albany upon his ship, and thence put us on a
way to pass the boundaries and join the French. For all this we were to
pay at a high rate; but beggars cannot be choosers, nor outlaws
bargainers.

We sailed then, up the Hudson River, which, I protest, is a very fine
stream, and put up at the "Kin