146 THE CAST-AWAY. 



Apparently the cooper had deserted ; or was it 

 not possible that he had been arrested and jailed 

 for participation in the night's disturbances ? In 

 either case there was but one thing to do — appeal 

 to the authorities on shore. 



This the bold Briton reluctantly did, hating 

 above all things to ask a favor of a Frenchman. 

 At the same time he sent off a boat to call at 

 every ship in the harbor and request that diligent 

 search for the missing cooper be made on board. 

 The day went by ; the whole island and the 

 whole harbor were searched with the utmost care ; 

 but the lost sheep could nowise be brought back 

 into the fold. 



A council extraordinary met in the forecastle of 

 of the lime juicer that afternoon and chose Jack 

 Burkett as their unwilling spokesman, deputing 

 him to proceed to the quarter-deck and to render 

 to the captain a full and complete confession of 

 their manifold sins and wickednesses, neither dis- 

 sembling nor cloaking them, but acknowledging 

 them all " with an humble, lowly, penitent and 

 obedient heart." 



So Burkett went aft upon the hateful errand. 

 He told the whole disgraceful story — nineteen 

 sailors crazy with rum, the English cooper set 

 adrift in an oarless and paddleless canoe, and a 

 strong tide running out to the ocean. 



