“Mr Thingamy,” said his lordship, “you will take the what’s-his-name, you know.”

“Yes, my lord,” said I.

“And you will go to that town, and ask for my thingumbob.”

“For your gig, my lord?” said I.

“Yes, that’s all.”

“But, my lord, suppose they won’t give it to me?”

“Then take it.”

“Suppose the gig is not there, my lord, and if there, suppose they refuse to give it up?”

“Then take every vessel out of the harbour.”

“Very well, my lord.  Am I to put the gun in the boat? or to take muskets only?”

“Oh, no, no arms—­take a flag of truce—­No. 8 (white flag) will do.”

“Suppose they will not accept the flag of truce, my lord?”

“Oh, but they will:  they always respect a flag of truce, you know.”

“I beg your lordship’s pardon, but I think a few muskets in the boat would be of service.”

“No, no, no,—­no arms.  You will be fighting about nothing.  You have your orders, Sir.”

“Yes,” thinks I, “I have.  If I succeed, I am a robber; if I fail, I am liable to be hanged on the first tree.”

I left the cabin, and went to the first lieutenant.  I told him what my orders were.  This officer was, as I before observed, a man who had no friends, and was therefore entirely dependent on the captain for his promotion, and was afraid to act contrary to his lordship’s orders, however absurd.  I told him, that whatever might me the captain’s orders, I would not go without arms.

“The orders of his lordship must be obeyed,” said the lieutenant.

“Why,” said I, irritated at his folly, “you are as clever a fellow as the skipper.”

This he considered so great an affront, that he ran down to his cabin, saying, “You shall hear from me again for this, Sir.”

I concluded that he meant to try me by a court-martial, to which I had certainly laid myself open by this unguarded expression; but I went on the quarter-deck, and, during his absence, got as many muskets into the boat as I wanted, with a proper proportion of ammunition.  This was hardly completed, before the lieutenant came up again, and put a letter into my hands:  which was no more than the very comfortable intelligence, that, on my return from the expedition on which I was then going, he should expect satisfaction for the affront I had offered him.  I was glad, however, to find it was no worse.  I laughed at his threat; and, as the very head and front of my offending was only having compared him to the captain, he could not show any resentment openly, for fear of displeasing his patron.  In short, to be offended at it, was to offer the greatest possible affront to the man he looked up to for promotion, and thus destroy all his golden prospects.

As I put this well-timed challenge into my pocket, I walked down the side, got into my boat, and put off.  It wanted but one hour of sunset when I reached the part where this infernal gig was supposed to be, and the sky gave strong indications of an approaching gale.  Indeed, I do not believe another captain in the navy could have been found who, at such a season of the year, would have risked a boat so far from the ship on an enemy’s coast and a lee-shore, for such a worthless object.