130 THE OUT-STATION; OR, 



the water, which presently manifested their origin in 

 a boat-load of Yankees, come to look after their 

 missing jib-boom. 



It soon became a matter of difference of opinion 

 between their boat's-crew and ourselves as to whe- 

 ther we should "back our fore -topsail/' and let 

 them overhaul us or not, and considering it af- 

 forded a special demonstration of juvenile valour 

 (being then hardly eighteen) and of displaying it to 

 the troops in charge, 1 soon had thirty rifles, with 

 bayonets fixed, on deck, to dispute any interference 

 with the "oyster guard," whose honour, as forming 

 a part of her majesty's service, I felt myself bound to 

 protect; so that the reader will not wonder, that, 

 when the Yankee mate had reached the main-chan- 

 nels of our vessel and got a footing there, he dropped 

 " like a hot potato" back again into his own boat, and 

 gave orders for an instant retreat ; whilst we, catch- 

 ing at the moment the land wind, which then came 

 off shore, toddled away fike a crab in a hurry, making 

 two miles to leeward to every one we made a-head. 



We did not know this at the time, fortunately. 



I say fortunately ', as, had we been aware of it, we 

 might have prevented it, and thus have come in for an 

 action for damages laid at our door for a forcible ex- 

 pulsion of our midnight visitors, who after waiting ten 

 days for us, and then feeling satisfied we had gone to 

 the bottom (at which, no doubt, they were almost as 

 delighted as if they had secured their damages), 

 thought it no use wasting any more time, and left the 



