We gave no attention to either his threats or entreaties; but it was a wonderful relief when three men, headed by Master Hackett, came below, the latter telling us we were free to go on deck since there was nothing we might do to aid them in their work.
I breathed freely for the first time since we had been given charge of the Britisher, when we stepped on the spar-deck and had a look around.
Within half a cable's length lay the Essex Junior, her boat alongside our ship, and in the offing two British men-of-war standing directly into the harbor.
"I wonder if the fighting will be done while we lay at anchor?" I said like a simple that I was, and Phil replied with the air of one who is wiser than his comrade:—
"Certainly not. In the first place, Master Hackett says it is against all the rules for ships to fight in a harbor belonging to a nation with which we are not at war. Then again, it is necessary to manœuvre the frigate while the fighting is going on, and to do that she must be on the open ocean."
"I see no signs of our getting under way."
"Then you must be blind indeed! Notice the men; each is at his proper station, and on the gun-deck the ammunition has already been brought out. Perhaps they have sanded the decks."
I turned away from him impatiently. Of what good was it to mention such a sinister preparation as that? It quickened the blood in one's veins to see the crew standing motionless, ready to execute on the instant the first order which should be given; and made the cold chills run down a fellow's spine to think that measures were being taken to cover that which represented the life of our people.
While I stood, half a coward and half eager to have a hand in the work about to be done, Benson was brought up from below—literally brought up, for he refused to lift hand or foot—and then dropped bodily into the boat alongside.
Lieutenant Downes took his station in the stern-sheets, and the small craft was pulled quickly away, leaving us on the Essex to meet the coming enemy.