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The men set to with a will; the guns were all loaded, and were soon cast loose and primed, during which operations it fell calm, and the sails of all three vessels flapped against their masts. The Harpy was then about two miles from Jack's vessel, and the Spaniard about a mile from him, with all her boats ahead of her, towing towards him; Mesty examined the Spanish vessel.

Dr Middleton accompanied him, and Mesty followed. They opened, the door, and beheld a spectacle which made them recoil with horror. There was Mr Easy, with his head in the machine, the platform below fallen from under him, hanging, with his toes just touching the ground.

The captain was seated down on the deck against one of the guns, and Mesty, putting on the look of a demon, extended above him his long nervous arm, with the sharp knife clutched, as if ready every instant to strike it into his heart. The Spanish captain felt his situation anything but pleasant.

The Admiralty were also pleased to grant the discharge of Mesty, on the sum required for a substitute being paid in. The gipsies were routed out of their abodes, and sent once more to wander.

"What will you promise if I take you on board?" "To do our duty cheerfully till we join the ship, and then be hung as an example to all mutineers," replied the men. "Dat very fair," replied Mesty; "take dem at their word, Massa Easy." "Very well," replied Jack, "I accept your conditions; and we will come for you."

Mesty followed, and looking at the lower extremities said, "Massa Easy, dat Massa Jolliffe; I know him trousers; marine tailor say he patch um for ever, and so old dat de thread no hold; yesterday he had dis patch put in, and marine tailor say he be d n if he patch anymore, please nobody." Mesty was right; it was poor Jolliffe, whose face was burnt as black as a coal by the explosion.

"It would," replied the friar; "now you shall have it, if you will only give your master a small powder." "I understand," replied Mesty; "hab those things in my country." "Well do you consent? if so, I will write the letter to get the money." "Suppose they find me out?" replied Mesty. "You will be safe, and you shall be sent away as soon as possible say, will you consent?"

Mesty had been a great man in his own country; he had suffered all the horrors of a passage in a slave ship; he had been sold as a slave twice; he had escaped but he found that the universal feeling was strong against his colour, and that on board of a man-of-war he was condemned, although free, to the humblest of offices.

The boat being full, they shoved off with three cheers of derision. Jack was sensible to the compliment: he stood at the gangway, took off his hat, and made them a polite bow. As soon as they were gone, Mesty grinned with his sharp-filed teeth, and looking at our hero, said: "I tink I make um pay for all dis stop a little; by de piper as played before Moses, but our turn come by-and-bye."

"Do you hear on board?" cried the coxswain, who was the man who hailed "send the boat immediately, or we'll cut the throats of every mother's son of you, by God!" "I shall not send the boat," replied Jack, who now thought Mesty was right. "You won't won't you? then your doom's sealed," replied the man, walking up to the tent with the other.