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He took other voyages also with his son Sebastian, who followed with him the rapid widening stream of discovery and became Pilot Major of Spain, and President of the Congress appointed in 1524 to settle the conflicting pretensions of various discoverers; but so far as our narrative is concerned, having sailed across from Bristol and discovered the mainland of the New World some years before Columbus discovered it, John Cabot sails into oblivion.
We had some supper, consisting of eggs and bacon; and at nine o'clock, it being then pitch dark, the pilot informed us it was time to start. I must say I should have been more comfortable if I had been on the bridge of my little craft, just starting over the bar at Wilmington, with the probability of a broadside from a gun-boat saluting us in a very short time, than where I was.
In a letter written in March, 1858, the young pilot tells of an exciting night search in the running ice for Hat Island soundings: Brown, the pilot, stood in the bow with an oar, to keep her head out, and I took the tiller.
As we were talking, the Rock pilot came alongside in a launch and handed aboard a bunch of geese, the same as those we had seen; he is out of shot and powder, and I believe we have no cartridges on board.
Tuesday noon, "Land, ho!" was shouted from the masthead, and soon the low, white shore of Nantucket was plainly visible. A strong head wind kept us out until Wednesday morning, when we took on board a pilot, and before night were ashore in New Bedford.
All the visitors burst out laughing, and heartily enjoyed the astonishment and confusion of the young pilot. "I don't understand it," exclaimed Lawry. "The fairies, knowing what a good boy you are, Lawry, must have pumped her out for you," said Miss Fanny. "Perhaps they did." Mr. Sherwood then explained what he had done the preceding night, and the reason why he had done it.
He was very busy, but he found time to ask Marcy a few questions, and gave him pencil and paper with which to draw a map of the channel that led through Croatan Sound. When it was done he compared it with another that lay upon his table, and Marcy learned, from some remarks he exchanged with Captain Benton, that he was not the only pilot whose services had been secured by force of arms.
"Jest wanted to exchange a few words with you, if you're Oscar Gleeb, an' it's true that you was a live-wire over there in France an' the Argonne say, is that all to the good, Mister Pilot?" The other did not answer immediately.
Virginia sat watching the shadows of the clouds flow along the ground and the prairie hues changing with the angle of the afternoon sunlight. Suddenly a sound of ponies' feet outside was followed by a loud rap on the door. "Come in!" Virginia called. "Lie down, Pilot!" Pilot did not obey, but sat up alert before his mistress as Darley Champers' bulk filled the doorway.
My old pilot read this over and over again, and asked me several times if I would stand to it. I answered, I would stand to it as long as I had any thing left in the world; being sensible that I should, one time or other, find an opportunity to put it home to them. But we had no occasion ever to let the pilot carry this letter, for he never went back again.
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