folk at Monkshaven as were looking out for us even then; an’ I said to mysel’, I would speak fair as long as I could, more by token o’ the whaling-knife, as I could see glinting bright under t’ black tarpaulin.”  So he spoke quite fair and civil, though he see’d they was nearing t’ Aurora, and t’ Aurora was nearing them.  Then t’ navy captain hailed him thro’ t’ trumpet, wi’ a great rough blast, and, says he, “Order your men to come on deck.”  And t’ captain of t’ whaler says his men cried up from under t’ hatches as they’d niver be gi’en up wi’out bloodshed, and he sees Kinraid take out his pistol, and look well to t’ priming; so he says to t’ navy captain, “We’re protected Greenland-men, and you have no right t’ meddle wi’ us.”  But t’ navy captain only bellows t’ more, “Order your men t’ come on deck.  If they won’t obey you, and you have lost the command of your vessel, I reckon you’re in a state of mutiny, and you may come aboard t’ Aurora and such men as are willing t’ follow you, and I’ll fire int’ the rest.”  Yo’ see, that were t’ depth o’ the man:  he were for pretending and pretexting as t’ captain could na manage his own ship, and as he’d help him.  But our Greenland captain were noane so poor-spirited, and says he, “She’s full of oil, and I ware you of consequences if you fire into her.  Anyhow, pirate, or no pirate” (for t’ word pirate stuck in his gizzard), “I’m a honest Monkshaven man, an’ I come fra’ a land where there’s great icebergs and many a deadly danger, but niver a press-gang, thank God! and that’s what you are, I reckon.”  Them’s the words he told me, but whether he spoke ’em out so bold at t’ time, I’se not so sure; they were in his mind for t’ speak, only maybe prudence got t’ better on him, for he said he prayed i’ his heart to bring his cargo safe to t’ owners, come what might.  Well, t’ Aurora’s men aboard t’ Good Fortune cried out “might they fire down t’ hatches, and bring t’ men out that a way?” and then t’ specksioneer, he speaks, an’ he says he stands ower t’ hatches, and he has two good pistols, and summut besides, and he don’t care for his life, bein’ a bachelor, but all below are married men, yo’ see, and he’ll put an end to t’ first two chaps as come near t’ hatches.  An’ they say he picked two off as made for t’ come near, and then, just as he were stooping for t’ whaling knife, an’ it’s as big as a sickle——­’

‘Teach folk as don’t know a whaling knife,’ cried Daniel.  ’I were a Greenland-man mysel’.’

‘They shot him through t’ side, and dizzied him, and kicked him aside for dead; and fired down t’ hatches, and killed one man, and disabled two, and then t’ rest cried for quarter, for life is sweet, e’en aboard a king’s ship; and t’ Aurora carried ’em off, wounded men, an’ able men, an’ all:  leaving Kinraid for dead, as wasn’t dead, and Darley for dead, as was dead, an’ t’ captain and master’s mate as were too old for work; and t’ captain, as loves Kinraid like a brother,