"
"But, by making their peace with those who have the power, their lives
may be spared," said the captain, watching, with keen eyes, the effect
his words produced on the cockswain.
"It matters but little, when a man hears the messenger pipe his hammock
down for the last time; he keeps his watch in another world, though he
goes below in this. But to see wood and iron, that has been put together
after such moulds as the Ariel's, go into strange hands, is a blow that
a man may remember long after the purser's books have been squared
against his name for ever! I would rather that twenty shot should strike
my old carcass, than one should hull the schooner that didn't pass out
above her water-line."
Borroughcliffe replied, somewhat carelessly, "I may be mistaken, after
all; and, instead of putting any of you to death, they may place you all
on board the prison-ships, where you may yet have a merry time of it
these ten or fifteen years to come."
"How's that, shipmate!" cried the cockswain, with a start; "a prison-
ship, d'ye say? you may tell them they can save the expense of one man's
rations by hanging him, if they please, and that is old Tom Coffin."
"There is no answering for their caprice: to-day they may order a dozen
of you to be shot for rebels; to-morrow they may choose to consider you
as prisoners of war, and send you to the hulks for a dozen years."
"Tell them, brother, that I'm a rebel, will ye? and ye'll tell 'em no
lie--one that has fou't them since Manly's time, in Boston Bay, to this
hour.
Pages:
314
315
316
317
318
319
320
321
322
323
324
325
326
327
328
329
330
331
332
333
334
335
336
337
338