At the close of the week we were ready to sail, but were delayed a day or two by the running away of Foster, the man who had been our second mate and was turned forward.  From the time that he was ``broken,’’ he had had a dog’s berth on board the vessel, and determined to run away at the first opportunity.  Having shipped for an officer when he was not half a seaman, he found little pity with the crew, and was not man enough to hold his ground among them.  The captain called him a ``soger,’’[1] and promised to ``ride him down as he would the main tack’’; and when officers are once determined to ``ride a man down,’’ it is a gone case with him.  He had had several difficulties with the captain, and asked leave to go home in the Lagoda; but this was refused him.  One night he was insolent to an officer on the beach, and refused to come aboard in the boat.  He was reported to the captain; and, as he came aboard,—­ it being past the proper hour—­ he was called aft, and told that he was to have a flogging.  Immediately he fell down on deck, calling out, ``Don’t flog me, Captain Thompson, don’t flog me!’’ and the captain, angry and disgusted with him, gave him a few blows over the back with a rope’s end, and sent him forward.  He was not much hurt, but a good deal frightened, and made up his mind to run away that night.  This was managed better than anything he ever did in his life, and seemed really to show some spirit and forethought.  He gave his bedding and mattress to one of the Lagoda’s crew, who promised to keep it for him, and took it aboard his ship as something which he had bought.  He then unpacked his chest, putting all his valuable clothes into a large canvas bag, and told one of us who had the watch to call him at midnight.  Coming on deck at midnight, and finding no officer on deck, and all still aft, he lowered his bag into a boat, got softly down into it, cast off the painter, and let it drop down silently with the tide until he was out of hearing, when he sculled ashore.

The next morning, when all hands were mustered, there was a great stir to find Foster.  Of course, we would tell nothing, and all they could discover was that he had left an empty chest behind him, and that he went off in a boat; for they saw the boat lying high and dry on the beach.  After breakfast, the captain went up to the town, and offered a reward of twenty dollars for him; and for a couple of days the soldiers, Indians, and all others who had nothing to do, were scouring the country for him, on horseback, but without effect; for he was safely concealed, all the time, within fifty rods of the hide-houses.  As soon as he had landed, he went directly to the Lagoda’s hide-house, and a part of her crew, who were living there on shore, promised to conceal him and his traps until the Pilgrim should sail, and then to intercede with Captain Bradshaw to take him on board his ship.  Just behind the hide-houses, among the thickets and underwood, was a small cave, the entrance to which was known only to two men on the beach, and which was so well concealed that though, when I afterwards came to live on shore, it was shown to me two or three times, I was never able to find it alone.  To this cave he was carried before daybreak in the morning, and supplied with bread and water, and there remained until he saw us under way and well round the point.