The Yankee Champion — page 78: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

\ i and Soe sy: | THE YANKEE CHAMPION, 71 ~ So do I,’’ quickly returned Nixon, while a flash of intelligence shot athwart his face. Maynard cast a sidelong glance at Mason. He needed no more to confirm his suspicions, and he resolved that he would keep his own counsel and take the new man under his especial surveillance. ‘*What’ll you do?’’ asked Cummings, as it seemed. to be generally understood that the sloop-of-war had been sent down. in consequence of intelligence the British had received with regard to the capture of the brig. “‘I shall wait till night, and then run out,”’’ returned Nixon. As the captain said this, he took one or two turns up and down the deck, and then he came back and looked at the sloop, which was still in the offing, and standing slowly to the northward. “Mr. Baker,’ said he, turning to his first officer, “cet up the mast-ropes and burtons. Send the lar- board watch aloft to clear away the rigging. I’m going to send down the yards and topgallant-masts, and house the topmasts. Have the men work lively, © sir.’ **What’s all that for?’’ “To pull the wool over that Englishman’s eyes. As soon as everything is down, I’m going to up anchors and haul into the dock again. He’ll watch our movements and think we are hauling up for some heavy job, and then he won’t Ve so likely to keep a very bright lookout throughout the night.”’ All saw the drift of the thing, and the men went to work with a will, and in less than two hours the brig was half stripped and heeled over against one of the wharves, and there she lay during the rest of the day as innocent as a kitten. Her claws and (G(0) Eomilcbooks mn