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"YES." Mine was the negative, Captain Reud's the affirmative, spoken simultaneously. At this crisis his lordship had made a very proper and theatrical start. Captain Reud grasped the glass with both hands; and the severe, bright eye of Dr Thompson fell upon the prank-playing captain. The effect was instantaneous: he slunk away from his intended mischief; completely subdued.
I was dissatisfied with my reception by Captain Reud, of his Majesty's ship Eos, notwithstanding his skill at spinning upon a bottle; nor was I altogether satisfied with the blustering, half-protecting, half-overbearing conduct towards me, of his first-lieutenant, Mr Farmer.
My mother's milk, as it were, still flowed in my veins, and with that no ill blood could amalgamate. All I can say is, that now I am either so much better or so much worse, that I should have adopted towards Captain Reud a much more decided course of proceedings.
Captain Reud weighed all this, and decided upon making with the frigate, the recapture first, and then trusting to Providence for the other: for which decision, which I thought most sound, he got black looks from the first-lieutenant and some of the officers, and certain hints were whispered of dark birds sometimes showing white feathers.
To the sudden, "You're drunk, sir," of Captain Reud, the simple youth, taken by surprise, and perhaps thinking it against the articles of war to contradict the captain, said, "Yes, sir; but I haven't tasted grog since " "You got drunk, sir; take him aft, master-at-arms, and put him in irons."
"But it shall be, by G !" said the irascible Creole. "Captain Reud," said I, "let me entreat you for this once only " "Boatswain's mate " "Oh, Captain Reud, if you knew what a strange sympathy " "The thief's cat." "Indeed, sir, since he has been on board he has never stolen " "Mr Rattlin, another word, and the masthead. Stand back, Stebbins! let Douglas give him the first dozen."
"Well, gentlemen," said Captain Reud, rising a little chafed, "have you come to a conclusion upon this very plain case? I see the doctor looks better already his face is no longer pale."
The next morning all the prizes were secured, the town formally taken possession of, and whilst Captain Reud lay in the torpor of what was all but death, it was deliberated what we should do with our conquest. It was a matter of some difficulty to decide upon. At this period, the two factions of the blacks, Petion's and Christophe's held the western parts of the fine island of Saint Domingo.
Captain Reud taking the responsibility into his own hands, had determined to lead in. The charts were minutely examined, but they gave us no hope. The soundings laid down were so shallow and the path so intricate, that, by them, we wondered much how even a privateer schooner could make the passage in safety.
The base-hearted poltroon went and made his complaint to Captain Reud, who ordered him to leave the ship immediately he came into harbour. We must now retrograde a little in the narrative, in order to show what events led to the disastrous catastrophe I have just related.
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