“Perhaps she has taken some prize and for some reason transferred its cargo to her own hold,” suggested Lieutenant Ogilby.
“It is possible, of course,” admitted Captain Tucker. “We will run up and speak with her.”
She was so heavily loaded we had no difficulty in overhauling her, and to Captain Tucker’s hail: “On board ship! Who are you?” there came the prompt answer: “American privateer Peggy, from Machias, Captain Edward Saunders. Who are you?”
“Continental schooner of war Hancock, Captain Samuel Tucker, on a cruise.”
“I have heard of you, Captain Tucker, and am now glad to see you,” shouted the skipper of the Peggy. “Wish I was near enough to shake hands with you. Hope you are having your usual good luck in securing prizes.”
“Thanks! but we have run in with nothing on this cruise,” said our commander. “But judging by the draught of your vessel, Captain Saunders, you have had a better fortune.”
“Yes,” was the response. “We captured a brig yesterday. But the shot we meant to send across her bow struck her in the water line. We had only time to transfer her cargo to our own hold, when she went down. We are now in no condition for a chase and so are homeward bound.”
“A safe voyage home!”
“The same to you!”
And then we sheered off and ran out to sea, while the privateer kept on down the coast. Two days later we were below the Seal Islands when our lookout reported a sail dead ahead of us.