“Sail-maker, armorer, and captain of the mast,” interrupted Cuffe, laughing.

“Well, sir, you may make anything seem doubtful by bringing forward a plenty of reasons; but all my experience says, a third chase never comes to anything, unless it turns out successful; but that after a third chase, all may as well be given up.”

“I fancy Lord Nelson holds a different doctrine, Strand.  He tells us to follow a Frenchman round the earth, rather than let him escape.”

“No doubt, sir.  Follow him round three earths, if you can keep him in sight; but not round four.  That is all I contend for, Captain Cuffe.  Even women, they tell me, take what is called their thirds, in a fellow’s fortin’.”

“Well, well, Strand, I suppose there must be some truth in your doctrine, or you wouldn’t hold out for it so strenuously; and as for this coast, I must give it up, for I never expect to see another like it; much less a third.”

“It’s my duty to give up to your honor; but I ask permission to think a third chase should always be the last one.  That’s a melancholy sight to a man of feelin’, Captain Cuffe, the object between the two midship-guns, on the starboard side of the main-deck, sir?”

“You mean the prisoner?  I wish with all my heart he was not there, Strand.  I think I would rather he were in his lugger again, to run the chances of that fourth chase of which you seem to think so lightly.”

“Your hanging ships are not often lucky ships, Captain Cuffe.  In my judgment, asking your pardon, sir, there ought to be a floating jail in every fleet, where all the courts and all the executions should be held.”

“It would be robbing the boatswains of no small part of their duty, were the punishments to be sent out of the different vessels,” answered Cuffe, smiling.

“Aye, aye, sir—­the punishments, I grant, your honor; but hanging is an execution, and not a punishment.  God forbid that at my time of life I should be ordered to sail in a ship that has no punishment on board; but I am really getting to be too old to look at executions with any sort of pleasure.  Duty that isn’t done with pleasure is but poor duty at the best, sir.”

“There are many disagreeable and some painful duties to be performed, Strand; this of executing a man, let the offence be what it may, is among the most painful.”

“For my part, Captain Cuffe, I do not mind hanging a mutineer so very much, for he is a being that the world ought not to harbor; but it is a different thing with an enemy and a spy.  It’s our duty to spy as much as we can for our king and country, and one ought never to bear too hard on such as does their duty.  With a fellow that can’t obey orders, and who puts his own will above the pleasure of his superiors, I have no patience; but I do not so much understand why the gentlemen of the courts are so hard on such as do a little more reconn’itrin’ than common.”