fellow's
leg, but likewise of rendering the doctor contemptible among the ship's
company, who had all their eyes on us during the course of this cure,
which was completed in six weeks.

CHAPTER XXIX

Mackshane's malice--I am taken up and imprisoned for a spy--Morgan meets
with the same fate--Thompson is tampered with to turn evidence against
us--disdains the proposal, and is maltreated for his integrity--Morgan
is released to assist the Surgeon during an engagement with some French
ships-of-war--I remain fettered on the poop, exposed to the enemy's
shot, and grow delirious with fear--am comforted after the battle by
Morgan, who speaks freely of the captain, is overheard by the sentinel,
who informs against him, and again imprisoned--Thompson grows desperate,
and, notwithstanding the remonstrances of Morgan and me, goes overboard
in the night

In the meantime the storm subsided into a brisk gale, that carried us
into the warm latitudes, where the weather became intolerable, and
the crew very sickly. The doctor left nothing unattempted towards the
completion of his vengeance against the Welshman and me. He went among
the sick under pretence of inquiring into their grievances, with a
view of picking up complaints to our prejudice; but, finding himself
frustrated in that expectation by the goodwill we had procured from
the patients by our diligence and humanity, he took the resolution of
listening to our conversation, by hiding himself behind the canvas that
surrounded our berth; here too he was detected by the boy of our mess,
who acquainted us with this piece of behaviour, and one night, while we
were picking a large bone of salt beef, Morgan discerned something stir
on the outside of our hangings, which immediately interpreting to be the
doctor, he tipped me the wink, and pointed to the place, where I could
perceive somebody standing; upon which, I snatched up the bone, and
levelled it with all my force at him, saying, "Whoever you are, take
that for your curiosity." It had the desired effect, for we heard the
listener tumble down, and afterwards crawl to his own cabin. I applauded
myself much for this feat, which turned out one of the most unlucky
exploits of my life, Mackshane, from that time, marking me out for
destruction.

About a week after this exploit, as I was going my rounds among
the sick, I was taken prisoner, and carried to the poop by the
master-at-arms, where I was loaded with irons, and stap