Jim objected, and Jerry replied with the air of one who has
thoroughly turned the matter over in his mind:

"So much the better. We shall then have established ourselves in the
business, and can come back for another cargo. There will be less
suspicion of us the second time."

"I reckon you're right, lad," Darius said decidedly. "We can't expect
to gather much of any news the first pop, an' if we get acquainted, it
will be a long step in the right direction."

As a matter of course, the old man's opinion settled the question, and
we hauled around for a run down the bay, double reefing the mainsail
and jib, as was proper when you take into consideration the fact that
we had the same as no cargo aboard to give the pungy stiffness.

Up to this time neither one had made any proposition as to how we were
to begin operations, and I naturally concluded that we would sail
boldly up to the first craft we saw, asking if we could sell them
oysters, therefore I suggested, when we were standing off on a course
that would bring us on to the Tangier Islands:

"If we keep up this rate of speed, we may come upon the enemy while it
is yet night."

"Ay, lad, an' I'm thinkin' it would be a good plan."

"But people don't go out sellin' things before daylight," I said with
a laugh.

"I'm countin' on bein' properly interduced," Darius replied with a
grin. "If we're hailed, an' ordered to lay by till mornin', we shall
have one ship's crew that'll listen to us."

I did not understand this explanation more than if it had been given
in Latin; but the others appeared to be satisfied, and I held my peace
rather than display ignorance.

We kept our course a couple of hours, and, then, directly in a line
with the Tangiers, I saw the loom of what appeared to be a large ship.

"There's one of the fleet," I said in a whisper to Darius, who was at
the tiller, and he replied in a matter-of-fact tone:

"Ay, lad, I'm allowin' she's the Severn or the Narcissus, both of
which made it hot for the commodore in the Patuxent."

"How large are they?"

"The Severn should be carryin' thirty-eight guns, an' the other four
less, if I remember rightly."

"I had rather we made our first attempt with a smaller vessel," I
said, feeling decidedly uncomfortable in mind now we were so near
beginning the dangerous work.

"Bless you, lad, we might as well be overhauled by a frigate as a
sloop, so far as the chances of bein' found out are concerned; but
we