It seemed very much to me as if we had lost the Avenger, whichever way we turned, and my heart grew heavy, for once she was gone Jerry and I were badly off.
Hardly knowing what I did, I went toward my friend's home, and met him coming my way, a look of excitement and eagerness on his face.
"Well, it seems as if we were in for it!" he cried when we were come within hailing distance, and I asked irritably:
"In for what?"
"A bit of fightin', of course. You wouldn't be willin' to stay here with the cowards Commodore Barney left behind, would you?"
"There are a good many things I had rather do than poke my nose into a hornet's nest," I replied, feeling as if Jerry was in some way my enemy because he appeared to be so delighted with the situation.
"What did your mother say?" he asked, giving no heed to my grumpiness.
"Nothing much; she is getting things ready for me to go away, and without so much as asking if I counted on leaving."
"She knows, as I do, that you wouldn't remain behind," the lad cried, showing as much joy as if we were thinking of visiting a peepshow. "Come on; Darius is waitin' for us. We must try to get a supply of provisions, for it's likely they haven't any too large a store in the fleet."
Then was the moment when I should have declared bluntly that I had no idea of putting myself in a position to be shot at if it could be avoided; but I hadn't the courage to tell him that I would not leave Benedict immediately, although I was fully determined not to go up the river.