CHAPTER VI.

----"The letter! ay! the letter!
'Tis there a woman loves to speak her wishes;
It spares the blushes of the love-sick maiden.
And every word's a smile, each line a tongue."
_Duo._


The slumbers of Griffith continued till late on the following morning,
when he was awakened by the report of a cannon, issuing from the deck
above him. He threw himself, listlessly, from his cot, and perceiving
the officer of marines near him, as his servant opened the door of his
stateroom, he inquired, with some little interest in his manner, if "the
ship was in chase of anything, that a gun was fired?"

"'Tis no more than a hint to the Ariel," the soldier replied, "that
there is bunting abroad for them to read. It seems as if all hands were
asleep on board her, for we have shown her signal, these ten minutes,
and she takes us for a collier, I believe, by the respect she pays it."

"Say, rather, that she takes us for an enemy, and is wary," returned
Griffith. "Brown Dick has played the English so many tricks himself,
that he is tender of his faith."

"Why, they have shown him a yellow flag over a blue one, with a cornet,