Snipe,
too, must live on the banks of that stream. Snipe are coming in season
now, Griffin?"
"It's more likely, sir, that some of the privateersmen have got ashore
on planks and empty casks, and are prowling about in the weeds, watching
our boats. Three or four of them would be too much for you, Captain
Cuffe, as the scoundrels all carry knives as long as ship's cutlasses."
"I suppose your notion may be true; and I shall have to give it up. Pull
back to the frigate, Davy, and we'll be off after some more of these
French ragamuffins."
This settled the matter. In half an hour the boats were swinging at the
Proserpine's quarters; and three hours later the ship was under her
canvas, standing slowly off the land. That day, however, the zephyr was
exceedingly light, and the sun set just as the ship got the small island
of Pianosa abeam; when the air came from the northward, and the ship's
head was laid in to the eastward; the course lying between the land just
mentioned and that of Elba. All night the Proserpine was slowly fanning
her way along the south side of the latter island, when, getting the
southerly air again in the morning, she reappeared in the Canal of
Piombino as the day advanced, precisely as she had done before, when
first introduced to the acquaintance of the reader. Cuffe had given
orders to be called, as usual, when the light was about to return; it
being a practice with him, in that active and pregnant war, to be on
deck at such moments, in order to ascertain, with his own eyes, what the
fortunes of the night had brought within his reach.
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