“May the devil grasp me in his holy embrace, madam,” said he, “if I am lying when I says that word.  It is my most pious thought, says I.”

Mrs. Sackett was somewhat taken aback at this candor, but managed to keep her feelings well hidden.  Her daughter came to the rescue.  “We appreciate your noble efforts, Captain Thompson.  The fact is, we have heard so much about your gallantry in saving life at sea that we are sure anything we could say would sound weak in comparison to what you must already have heard.  If you have a spare stateroom, we would be very thankful if we might have it for a time, as our clothes are quite wet from the sea.”

The skipper was somewhat surprised at the young girl’s answer, but he hid his confusion by bawling for the steward.

When the mulatto came, he gave numerous orders in regard to bunks, linen, drying of clothes, etc., regretting over and over again that he was a single man, and consequently had no wife from whom he could borrow wearing apparel while that of his guests was drying.

The third mate, also, took pains to be very civil to them, and his soft voice could be heard in conversation with Miss Sackett long after they had gone below.

I went forward and interviewed the men we had rescued, afterward getting the “doctor” to serve them something hot, as their galley fire had been out many hours and they had been eating nothing but ship’s bread.

The Pirate waited all the afternoon with her canvas shortened down to her lower topsails to keep her from forging ahead too fast.  But even when it grew dark and the British ship could no longer be clearly made out, her skipper had not gotten out his boats.  It was evident that he would try to save her if possible, and now that his family were safe he cared little for the risk.  Captain Thompson still held the Pirate hove to under easy canvas, drifting slowly with the wind, which was now no more than a moderate breeze.  The sea, also, was going down fast, and the sky was showing well between the long lines of greasy-looking clouds which appeared to sail slowly away to the northeast.  The night fell with every prospect of good weather coming on the following day.

I went on deck in the dog-watch and took a look around.  The Sovereign was a mere blur on the horizon, but her lights shone clearly.

“We’ll stand by her all night,” said Trunnell, “and then if the skipper doesn’t care to leave her,—­which he will, however,—­we’ll stand away again.”

There was little to do, so the watch lounged around the deck and rested from the exertion of the past twenty-four hours.  Chips told me I had better come forward after supper and take a smoke in his room, for they were going to come to some conclusion about the fellow Andrews.  There had been some talk of putting him aboard the English ship, and if we could get the captain to agree to it, it would be done.