"True; but might not these bars have been sawn through before? If this had been done, our flight would have been, at least, less precipitate."
"You forget, Mr. Wolston," said the captain, "that we did not know till nine o'clock the affair was to come off to-night."
"And I could not come any sooner to tell you," remarked the Pilot; "I had the greatest difficulty in the world to get in here; the maritime commissary would not take me into custody."
"I forgot to ask you how you contrived to get incarcerated," observed the captain; "you were not a prisoner, and could not plead your parole."
"No; and consequently I had to plead something else."
"Willis," said the missionary, "the work you are engaged in must be very fatiguing, let me exercise my strength upon the bars for a short time."
"If you like, minister, but keep the file well oiled."
"What, motive, then, did you urge, Willis?" inquired Captain Littlestone.
"'Mr. Commissary,' said I, 'one of your frigates captured the English cutter Nelson some time ago, but the capture was not complete.'
"'How so?' inquired the commissary.