"
There was no jest in all this; so I had nothing for it but to walk
silently along with my escort, after having gathered myself up as well as
I could. We crept so close under the windows of the overseer's house,
where we picked up a lot of empty ankers, slung on a long pole, that I
fancied I heard, or really did hear, some one snore--oh how I envied the
sleeper! At length we reached the beach, where we found two men lying on
their oars, in what, so far as I could distinguish, appeared to be a sharp
swift--looking whale boat, which they kept close to, with her head
seaward, however, to be ready for a start should any thing suspicious
appear near to them.
The boat--keeper hailed promptly, "Who goes there?" as they feathered
their oars.
"The tidy little Wave," was the answer.
No more words passed, and the men who had, in the first instance, pulled a
stroke or two to give the boat way, now backed water, and tailed her on to
the beach, when we all stepped on board.
Two of my captors now took each an oar; we shoved off, and glanced away
through the darkness, along the smooth surface of the sparkling sea, until
we reached the schooner, by this time hauled out into the fairway at the
mouth of the cove, where she lay hove short, with her mainsail hoisted
up, riding to the land--wind, and apparently all ready to cants and be off
the moment the boat returned.
As we came alongside, the captain of her, my friend Obediah, as I had no
difficulty in guessing, from his very out of the way configuration, dark
as it was, called out, "I says, Paul, who have you got in the
starn--sheets there?"
"A bloody spy, captain; he who was with the overseer when he peppered your
sheathing t'other morning.
Pages:
217
218
219
220
221
222
223
224
225
226
227
228
229
230
231
232
233
234
235
236
237
238
239
240
241