The captain, with reluctance, yielded the preference in this
particular to Jack, who was immediately invited to a conference,
by a note subscribed with Pickle's own hand. He was found at the
prison-gate waiting for Gauntlet, to know the issue of his negotiation.
He no sooner received this summons, than he set all his sails, and
made the best of his way to his friend's apartment; being admitted
by the turnkey, in consequence of Peregrine's request, communicated
by the messenger who, carried the billet. Pipes followed close
in the wake of his shipmate; and, in a few minutes after the note
had been despatched, Peregrine and Gauntlet heard the sound of the
stump, ascending the wooden staircase with such velocity, that they
at first mistook it for the application of drumsticks to the head
of an empty barrel. This uncommon speed, however, was attended with
a misfortune; he chanced to overlook a small defect in one of the
steps, and his prop plunging into a hole, he fell backwards, to
the imminent danger of his life. Tom was luckily at his back, and
sustained him in his arms, so as that he escaped without any other
damage than the loss of his wooden leg, which was snapped in the
middle, by the weight of his body in falling; and such was his
impatience, that he would not give himself the trouble to disengage
the fractured member.
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