Page:The White Slave, or Memoirs of a Fugitive.djvu/247

 adventurers readily enlisted. Tom Turner was spokesman for the Americans; and When called upon to follow this example, he.answered the lieutenant, in a tone so gruff as to be little better than a growl, — "We'll see you hanged first!"

For myself, I felt no patriotic scruples. I had renounced my country; if indeed that place can be fitly called one's country, which while it gives him birth, cuts him off, by its wicked and unjust laws, from every thing that makes life worth having. Despite the murmurs and hisses of my companions, I stepped forward, and put my name to the shipping paper. Had they known my history, they would not have blamed me.

After cruising for some time, without success, we returned to Liverpool to refit. Our crew was recruited; and we soon put to sea again. Cruising off the coast of France, we took several prizes, but none of very great value. We now made sail for the West Indies; and, in the neighbor hood of the Bermudas, while close hauled to the wind and under easy sail, we discovered a vessel a-head, and gave chase.

The chase slackened sail and waited for us to come up. This made us suppose that it might be a man-of-war; and as we were more anxious for plunder than for fighting, we put up the helm, and bore away.

The chase now made sail in pursuit; and as she proved to be much the better sailer, she gained rapidly upon us.

When we saw that there was no chance of escaping, we took in our light canvass, brought the vessel to, ran up the British flag, and cleared for action.

The enemy was an armed and fast-sailing schooner — an American privateer, as it proved, about a fair match for the brig, in point of size and armament, but in much finer trim, and most beautifully worked. She ran down upon us; her crew gave three cheers; and shooting across our bows, she gave us a broad-side that did:much execution. She tacked and manœuvred till she gained a favorable position, and then poured in her fire with such steadiness, that she seemed all a-blaze. Her guns were well shotted, and well aimed, and did serious damage. Our captain and first