The Pilot

ing, forward

und starting

his fly

f the

tated by the Congress itself; and conjectures were made respecting its force and destination, with all that interest which might be imagined would exist among the men whose lives or liberties were to abide the issue. A gallant and reckless daring, mingled with the desire of novelty, however, was the prevailing sentiment among the crew, who would have received with cheers the intell

use, the company stepped forward, like one man, and announced themselves as ready to follow him to the end of the world. The marine cast a look over his shoulder, at this gratifying declaration, in quest of Barnstable; but observing that the sailor was occupied with some pape

unusual enthusiasm, and his eyes beaming with a look of animation and gayety that had long been strangers to the face of the young man. He was giving forth the

ll be no landing on the eastern coast of England till the sea goes down. But this Kate was made for

s to wed her," returned the other. "The girl has indeed discovered surprising a

instance. Do you think that my tongue was jammed in my mouth, all the time we used t

ses on the art of navigation, and the sc

has weathered cape forty without a husband, and her tongue goes like a dog-vane in a calm, first one way and then another. But here is her diction

of a sailor's habits, blended with native character. "But this indeed surpasses all my expectations! Why, she has, in truth, made a most

laughing eyes of Griffith; "what folly, to throw away our time now

ing the ladies, though it fail in

nd can run us all up to the yard-arm of some English ship, whe

shoals; it would have been our last thought to suspect him of treachery then," returned Griffith, "I f

ll show us the way to the port we wish to find. Let my foot once more touch terra firma, and you may write craven against my name, if that laughing vixen slips he

errors of the soldier. Would you lie by to

our leisure in getting that fellow to splice us together. He has a handy way with a prayer book, and could do the job as well as a bishop; and I should like to be abl

his feelings suppressed; "it will not do, Richard; we must yield our own inclinations to the

a private talk with my dark-eyed Kate. But for a paltry pilot! he may luff and bear away as he pleases, while I shall steer as true as a magnet for that old ruin, where I can bring my eyes

must keep you and myself to our duty. This is no children's game that we play; it se

ner of his companion; but after reflecting a moment, he sta

fith, gently detainin

proposal to make that may

council, and may save you the trou

ntry does he wish to

belong to the commons' house of parliament, one is a general, and the sixth, like ourselves, is a sailor, and holds the r

of Colonel Howard, with my cockswain and boat's crew. I will surprise his house, release the ladies, and on my way b

repress a faint lau

Neither are they to be found like beggars, under every hedge. No, no, the men we seek must have something better than their nobility to recommend them to our favor. But let

riend, and they passed an hour together, inquiring into the practicability, and consultin

planned, while the few seamen who were to accompany the expedition steadily paced the deck, with their hands thrust into the bosoms of their neat blue jackets, or occasionally stretched toward the horizon, as their fingers traced, for their less experienced shipmates, the signs of an abatement in the gale among the driving clouds. The last lagger among the soldiers had appeared, with his knaps

e, you Tig

igate into the troubled sea. Everything was conducted in the most exact order, and with a coolness and skill that bade defiance to the turbulence of the angry elements. The marines were safely transported from the shi

es with marked and singular attention. When their conference was ended, the veteran bared his gray head to the blasts, and offered his hand to the other, with a seaman's frankness, mingled with the deference

h, starting from a reverie, and bowing his

frigate, and glided into the cutter, with the activity of a squirrel. But the captain of marines paused, and cast a meaning glance at the pilot, whose place it was to precede him. The stranger, a

for you,

th the same promptitude as if he were preceding an admiral. Whether the stranger became conscious of his want of courtesy, or was too indifferent to surrounding objects to note occurrences, he immediately followed himself, leaving to the marine the post of honor. The latter, who was distinguished for his skill in all matters of n

n who trod her decks to move with guarded steps. Still she was trimmed and cleared with an air of nautical neatness and attention that afforded the utmost possible room for her dimensions; and, though in miniature, she wore the trappings of war as proudly as if the metal she bore was of a more fatal and dangerous character. The murderous gun, which, since the period of which we are writing, has been universally adopted in all vessels of inferior size, was then in the infancy of its invention, and was known to the American mariner only by reputation, under the appalling name of a "smasher." Of a vast calibre, though short and easily managed, its advantages were even in that early day beginning to be appreciated, and the largest ships were thought to be unusually well provided with the means of offence, when they

ompact rigging, and the hardy faces of the fine young crew, with manifest satisfaction. Contrary to what had

a gallant-looking crew. You promise good service, sir,

, though we passed several of the enemy's cutters coming up channel, with whom our bulldogs longed for a conversation. Mr. Grif

served Griffith; "'vox et praete

playthings won't throw a round-shot as far as any gun of their size and height above the water, or won't scatter grape and canister w

ers, and wished to conciliate all under his directions; "and I doubt not they will argue the leading points of a combat with

his eye to the cannon, above which were painted the several quaint names of

pale of your baptism?" asked the pilot; "or do yo

ut move more to starboard, and you will see its style painted on the chee

ithet, though not w

that gun, and more than once has decided some warm disputes with John Bull, by the manner in which he has wielded it. No marine can trail his musket more easily than my cockswain can trai

is brow but too plainly showed that he trifled only from momentary indulgence; and Griffith intimated

ike a meteor dancing across the waves. The black mass of the frigate's hull soon sunk in distance; and long before the sun had fallen below the hills of England, her tall masts were barely distinguishable by the small cloud of sail that held the vessel to her station. As the ship disappeared, the land seemed to issue out of the bosom of the deep; and so rapid was their progress, that the dwellings of the ge

he dangers of the preceding night were already forgotten. No shoals or rocks appeared to arrest her course, and we must leave her gliding into the dark streak that wa