“Your servant, sir,” commenced Mr. Sennit, condescending to notice my bow; “your servant, sir; I suppose we owe the pleasure of your company, just now, to the circumstance of the weather’s clearing.”

This sounded hostile from the go off; and I was determined to give as good as I received.

“Quite likely, sir,” was my answer, uttered as coolly as I could speak—­“I do not think you got much the advantage, as long as there was thick weather.”

“Ay, you ’re a famous fellow at hide and go seek, and I do not doubt would make a long chase in a dark night.  But his Majesty’s ship, Speedy, is not to be dodged by a Yankee.”

“So it would seem, sir, by your present success.”

“Men seldom run away without there is a cause for it.  It’s my business to find out the reason why you have attempted it; so, sir, I will thank you for the name of your ship, to begin with?”

“The Dawn, of New York.”

“Ay, full-blooded Yankee—­I knew you were New England, by your tricks.”

“New York is not in New England; nor do we call a New York ship, a Yankee,” put in Marble.

“Ay, ay—­if one were to believe all you mates from the t’ other side, say, he would soon fancy that King George held his throne by virtue of a commission from President Washington.”

“President Washington is dead, Heaven bless him!” retorted Marble—­“and if one were to believe half of what you English say, he would soon fancy that President Jefferson held his office as one of King George’s waiting men.”

I made a sign for Marble to be silent, and intimated to the lieutenant I was ready to answer any further inquiries he wished to make.  Sennit did not proceed, however, without giving a significant look at the mate, which to me, seemed to say, “I have pressed a mate in my time.”

“Well, sir, the Dawn, of New York,” he continued, noting the name in his pocket-book—­“How are you called yourself?”

“The Dawn, of New York, Miles Wallingford, master.”

“Miles Wallingford, master.  Where from, whither bound, and with what laden?”

“From New York; bound to Hamburg; cargo sugars, coffee, and cochineal.”

“A very valuable cargo, sir,” observed Mr. Sennit, a little drily.  “I wish for your sake, it had been going to any other part of the world, as this last war has sent the French into that part of Germany, and Hamburg is suspected of being rather too much under Boney’s influence.”

“And were we bound to Bordeaux, sir, what power have you to stop a neutral, at this distance at sea?”

“If you put it on power, Mr. Wallingford, you depend on a crutch that will betray you.  We have power enough to eat you, should that be necessary—­I suppose you mean right."

“I shall not dispute with you, sir, about words.”

“Well, to prove to you that I am as amicably disposed as yourself, I will say no more on the subject.  With your permission, I will now examine your papers; and to show you that I feel myself among friends, I will first send my own boat back to the Speedy.”