"watching the boat till it was fairly beached, and drawn up to the roots of the cocoa-nut trees, steelkilt made sail again, and in due time arrived at tahiti, his own place of destination. there, luck befriended him; two ships were about to sail for france, and were providentially in want of precisely that number of men which the sailor headed. they embarked; and so for ever got the start of their former captain, had he been at all minded to work them legal retribution.