Captain Porter had taken many chances in sending us all away at the same time, yet by doing so he had gained another prize which, had she been left at liberty, might have worked serious mischief to our merchantmen.
It can readily be supposed that we did not lose any time in getting back to the frigate. Men enough to take care of the prisoners and work the prize were left on board, and the remainder of us pulled to the Essex at full speed, feeling, when we went on deck once more, as if the old ship had escaped some deadly peril.
By the time the remainder of our fleet came up, bringing with them the two boats we had sent out during the night, the Essex was lying alongside two fine prizes which had not cost us a single charge of powder.
We now had four prizes, in addition to the Barclay, and I was arguing with Phil as to how it would be possible to care for them all, and at the same time take any more, when Master Hackett joined us.
"I reckon you lads think the old Essex has got about as much as she can stagger under, eh?" he began; and I repeated to him what Phil and I had been saying.
"I allow we've got a good big job on our hands, lads," the old man said, speaking thoughtfully, as if weighing well every word, "an' now's come the time when Captain Porter is bound to make port. We're feedin' a crowd of men, an' can't do any great amount of work with so many craft to look after."
"Will we go to Valparaiso?" Phil asked, thinking of Benson.
"It's beyond an old shellback like me to say, lad; but if I was the captain of this 'ere frigate, I'd think twice before I poked my nose into that port the second time."
"Why? They treated us well before."
"Ay, an' that's why I'd keep my weather-eye liftin' while we're in these waters. England is a strong nation, an' these 'ere young republics won't dare hold out against her commands very long. There'll be a big lot of kickin' in Great Britain when word is sent there of what we've been doin', an' you'll find that she'll shut every port on the Pacific against us."