By good fortune Hunter pulled a good oar . We made the water fly , and the boat was soon alongside and I aboard the schooner . I found them all shaken , as was natural . The squire was sitting down , as white as a sheet , thinking of the harm he had led us to , the good soul ! And one of the six forecastle hands was little better . `` There 's a man , '' says Captain Smollett , nodding towards him , `` new to this work . He came nigh-hand fainting , doctor , when he heard the cry . Another touch of the rudder and that man would join us . '' I told my plan to the captain , and between us we settled on the details of its accomplishment . We put old Redruth in the gallery between the cabin and the forecastle , with three or four loaded muskets and a mattress for protection . Hunter brought the boat round under the stern-port , and Joyce and I set to work loading her with powder tins , muskets , bags of biscuits , kegs of pork , a cask of cognac , and my invaluable medicine chest . In the meantime , the squire and the captain stayed on deck , and the latter hailed the coxswain , who was the principal man aboard . `` Mr. Hands , '' he said , `` here are two of us with a brace of pistols each . If any one of you six make a signal of any description , that man 's dead . '' They were a good deal taken aback , and after a little consultation one and all tumbled down the fore companion , thinking no doubt to take us on the rear . But when they saw Redruth waiting for them in the sparred galley , they went about ship at once , and a head popped out again on deck . `` Down , dog ! '' cries the captain . And the head popped back again ; and we heard no more , for the time , of these six very faint-hearted seamen . By this time , tumbling things in as they came , we had the jolly-boat loaded as much as we dared .
XXXXX and I got out through the stern-port , and we made for shore again as fast as oars could take us .
Hands Hunter Joyce Redruth Smollett coxswain fainting forecastle mattress oar