"The old proverb says that a stern chase is a long chase, and so it was in this instance. I led him a lively dance, letting him come up almost within shooting distance before taking off my drags and giving the Hyacinth her head. Then we walked away so fast that he must have been puzzled to make out how we increased our speed without putting on more canvas, which we couldn't do, as we had everything set that was possible to pile on her. We had a good deal of fun on board about the performance; and if I ever meet the captain of that American merchantman I shall tell him he owes me a new hat."
The owners of the Marguerite greeted me as heartily as when I returned from my first cruise, and congratulated me on my success in the latest venture. It was arranged that I should go to sea again as soon as the schooner had been newly provisioned, watered, and made ready for the occupation which seemed to be as congenial for her as for her officers and crew. I retained all my officers and nearly all my men. The Marguerite was adding to her reputation as a lucky craft; and when a ship's luck is in your favor, there's no difficulty in getting all the men you want.
Soon as I could do so, I went to the house where I had left the Grahams. To my disappointment I found that they had left New York and gone to England, Captain Graham having been exchanged and allowed to depart. An English transport had arrived under a flag of truce, bringing a considerable number of American prisoners taken from ships captured by the fleet of Admiral Broke, who was cruising along our coast. On her departure she carried away all the British prisoners who had been exchanged or paroled. Captain Graham refused to go without his family, and, consequently, room was made for them on board the transport. Her destination was Plymouth or Portsmouth, they were uncertain at which point they should land, so Captain Graham said in a letter that he left for me in the hands of the keeper of the boarding-house where they had been staying.
He gave me an address in England where he could always be reached, and in closing his letter he added, "If you should ever be in England, either in peace or war, don't fail to find us or send to us. It may be in my power to serve you some day, and you may hold to the assurance that I shall do so whenever possible." I carefully noted his address, and not only wrote it down, but committed it to memory. "Who knows," I said to myself, "but that the fortune of war may find me in England, a prisoner; and should this ever happen, the friendship of the Grahams will be very greatly to my advantage."
