Nor was Phil Robbins behind me in enthusiasm. As the fleet got under way he flung his arms around my neck and bawled in my ears as if I had suddenly gone stone deaf:—
"Why couldn't it be our luck to be there! Why don't Lieutenant Downes give us lads half a chance?"
I shook him off just as Master Hackett came near where we were standing, and was about to make some impatient reply, for it seemed as if we lads were receiving shabby treatment by being thus left out of all the good things; but the old seaman interrupted me by saying:—
"You young cubs needn't howl because of not gettin' the thick end of all that's goin' on. Unless our captain has changed from what he was as a lieutenant when we licked the Turks, you'll get all the 'burnin' powder' that's needed before this cruise comes to an end."
Phil and I were not greatly consoled at being thus told that our turn would come by and by; but in our chagrin we did not lose sight of what was taking place so near at hand.
We saw the boats as they approached the becalmed craft spread out like a fan, that the attack, in case one was needed, might come from all points at the same time; and to our great surprise the ship's colors were struck before a gun had been fired.
She was the Barclay, as the blindest among us could see, for the name was painted on her rail, and we had robbed the Peruvian privateer of half her prizes!
Lieutenant Downes did not even take the trouble of sending the prize crew off to us as prisoners. He put them beneath the hatches, hoisted three of his boats inboard and sent the others back, signalling to know what the next move was to be.
It was by long odds the tamest capture I ever saw, for not a single grain of powder was burned, and there was no noise save when our crew cheered the returning boats.
Captain Porter soon told, by means of the tiny signal flags, what he expected of those who were in possession of the whaler. We hoisted the British colors, and the Barclay sent up the English ensign over the stars and stripes, after which the wind breezed up with sufficient force to carry us into Callao.