20 



THE GULF. 



two boats pulling for us with might and main. The one 

 was a revenue barge, and the other a cockle shell of a 

 boat belonging to an American brigantine within the bar, 

 whose captain, out of friendship for De Vignes, risked 

 the passage with two sailors, and came to warn him of 

 the bad odour in which the Halcyon stood at Tampico, 

 and the difficulties which would attend his proceedings. 



I saw at once that as far as our captain was concerned 

 he was contented to remain out at sea, till time should 

 permit his agents to make the necessary arrangements 

 with the custom-house officers, w^hich was not as yet ter- 

 minated and that the fate of his passengers was nothing 

 in his eyes. He, however, clamoured for water, and 

 that earnestly, and made no secret of his belief that he 

 must again go out to sea. But we needed no spur to 

 make us wish to escape from the Halcyon. There was 

 no bond between us and our companions but that of dire 

 necessity, and chivalrous deference or devotion was here 

 quite out of place. It was evident that each must shift 

 for himself. Besides, among the many kinds of justice to 

 be done, that kind usually termed "justice to one's self," is 

 not always to be disregarded. A timely application to 

 the captain of the brigantine secured us the use of his 

 skiff, which was in truth a mere toy, so fragile that the 

 weight of my two companions and myself was almost too 

 much for it, and sank it to the water's edge. To this we 

 speedily consigned our persons, leaving our goods and 

 chattels to their fate. De Vignes had quarrelled with 

 his acquaintance the instant he set his foot on deck, so 

 that he had nothing to detain him ; and after three min- 

 utes' stay, the little boat was scudding under a thin linen 

 lugsail, over the broad swell, which was now rolling, in 

 increasing volumes at the lapse of every ten seconds, in 

 towards the land. 



The feeling of exultation was warm in our bosoms as 

 the distance between us and our late prison momentarily 

 increased. There was, however, a peril in advance, 

 which soon claimed our attention, and that was the pas- 

 sage of the bar, which now exhibited a broad band of 

 breakers. But we felt stout hearted, even in a moment 



