ten that we aided a deserter," I cried. "Tell us
what happened after we left the Avenger?"

"Well," Darius said slowly, stopping to twist off a huge piece of
tobacco, and otherwise trying to make his yarn a long one so that we
might round Hog Point in the meanwhile. "We run over to the Delaware
shore, as I counted on doin', tryin' to find a boat; but it was no go.
We didn't see anythin' that would float, an' of course we couldn't
fool 'round there very long after sunrise, else the Britishers would
see us, so I made up my mind that the best plan was to face the music
right soon.

"We ran down for the Narcissus; but was hove to by the Severn, an' a
lieutenant with four marines came aboard. Bless your heart, lad, but
they did search the pungy from stem to stern, even shovelin' the
oysters over as if thinkin' we might have Bill under 'em. Then the
officer went on board, an' that little nincompoop of a midshipman
boarded us. 'Where's your crew?' he squeaked, an' I said innocent
like, 'They're all aboard, sir.' 'You're a liar!' says he, 'when I was
here last there were five lads on deck, an' now I see only three.' 'Oh
the other fellows have gone home,' says I. 'They only came out with us
for a lark.' 'Where's your boat?' says he. 'She belonged to them,'
says I. 'You're a liar,' says he. 'Yes, sir,' says I, which same was
true, an' off he goes madder'n a wet hornet.

"Then the lieutenant comes aboard after I saw a lot of 'em on the
quarter-deck talkin' fit to kill, an' he asks me when you went home. I
told him you lived on the Delaware shore, an' you skipped when the
pungy got near shore. 'You're a liar,' says he, an' I agreed with him
same's I had with the midshipmite. 'The boys have helped a deserter
from the Narcissus,' says he, 'an' have carried him to the mainland.
I've a mind to seize your vessel.' I tell you what it is, lads, 'bout
that time I thought the Avenger was a goner, for Britishers in
American waters are mighty apt to do whatever comes into their minds."

"Well, did that settle it?" I asked as Darius ceased speaking, much as
though his story had come to an end.

"No, we had three or four officers come aboard later, an' I ain't
certain but that we'd lost the pungy if signals hadn't been sent up on
the flag-ship, which I took to be a command to prepare for gettin'
under way. Leastways, them as was botherin' us scuttled over to their
own craft in short order, an' then there was a heap of knockin' about
in gi