"It's always the safest way to do one's duty, without regard to consequences," I continued.
"I suppose it is," said the captain; "but it's a hard case for the men."
"Perhaps not; we will look at that matter by and by," I answered, holding up one of the books I had brought on deck. "Where shall we go? That's the first question."
"If we stand towards the coast, we may be able to find a man-of-war; perhaps the steamer that chased us yesterday," added Captain York. "I have no doubt she intends to cut off the bark somewhere on the coast."
"What do you say, Phil?" asked Sanderson.
"I say, return to New York."
"Why so?"
"We can get out of the scrape sooner and better in that way than in any other," I replied. "If we fall in with a man-of-war, the bark will be her prize; she is ours now."
"But we have too many prisoners on board to make a run of three or four weeks, perhaps five or six," suggested the captain.
"I think we can take care of the prisoners well enough. We have all the arms, and we can do everything in our own way."