Captain Sands seemed to enjoy this reminiscence, and to our satisfaction, in a few minutes, after he had offered to take the oars, he went on to tell us another story.

“Why, as for cheating, there’s plenty of that all over the world.  The first v’y’ge I went into Havana as master of the Deerhound, she had never been in the port before and had to be measured and recorded, and then pay her tonnage duties every time she went into port there afterward, according to what she was registered on the custom-house books.  The inspector he come aboard, and he went below and looked round, and he measured her between decks; but he never offered to set down any figgers, and when we came back into the cabin, says he, ’Yes—­yes—­good ship! you put one bloon front of this eye, so!’ says he, ‘an’ I not see with him; and you put one more doubloon front of other eye, and how you think I see at all what figger you write?’ So I took his book and I set down her measurements and made her out twenty ton short, and he took his doubloons and shoved ’em into his pocket.  There, it isn’t what you call straight dealing, but everybody done it that dared, and you’d eat up all the profits of a v’y’ge and the owners would just as soon you’d try a little up-country air, if you paid all those dues according to law.  Tonnage was dreadful high and wharfage too, in some ports, and they’d get your last cent some way or ’nother if ye weren’t sharp.

“Old Cap’n Carew, uncle to them ye see to meeting, did a smart thing in the time of the embargo.  Folks got tired of it, and it was dreadful hard times; ships rotting at the wharves, and Deephaven never was quite the same afterward, though the old place held out for a good while before she let go as ye see her now.  You’d ‘a’ had a hard grip on’t when I was a young man to make me believe it would ever be so dull here.  Well, Cap’n Carew he bought an old brig that was lying over by East Parish, and he began fitting her up and loading her for the West Indies, and the farmers they’d come in there by night from all round the country, to sell salt-fish and lumber and potatoes, and glad enough they were, I tell ye.  The rigging was put in order, and it wasn’t long before she was ready to sail, and it was all kept mighty quiet.  She lay up to an old wharf in a cove where she wouldn’t be much noticed, and they took care not to paint her any or to attract any attention.

“One day Cap’n Carew was over in Riverport dining out with some gentlemen, and the revenue officer sat next to him, and by and by says he, ’Why won’t ye take a ride with me this afternoon?  I’ve had warning that there’s a brig loading for the West Indies over beyond Deephaven somewheres, and I’m going over to seize her.’  And he laughed to himself as if he expected fun, and something in his pocket beside.  Well, the first minute that Cap’n Carew dared, after dinner, he slipped out, and he hired the swiftest horse in Riverport and rode for dear life, and told the folks who were in the secret, and some who weren’t, what was the matter, and every soul turned to and helped finish loading her and getting the rigging ready and the water aboard; but just as they were leaving the cove—­the wind was blowing just right—­along came the revenue officer with two or three men, and they come off in a boat and boarded her as important as could be.