CHAPTER XXVIII.
The Captain enraged, threatens to put the Madman to death with his own hand--is diverted from that resolution by the arguments and persuasion of the first Lieutenant and Surgeon--we set sail for St.Helen's, join the fleet under the command of Sir C-- O--gle, and proceed for the West Indies--are overtaken by a terrible tempest--my friend Jack Rattlin has his leg broke by a fall from the mainyard--the behaviour of Mr.
Mackshane--Jack opposes the amputation of his limb, in which he is seconded by Morgan and me, we undertake the cure and perform it successfully The captain was carried into his cabin, so enraged with the treatment he had received, that he ordered the fellow to be brought before him, that he might have the pleasure of pistoling him with his own hand; and would certainly have satisfied his revenge in this manner, had not the first lieutenant remonstrated against it, by observing that, in all appearances, the fellow was not mad, but desperate; that he had been hired by some enemy of the captain's to him, and therefore ought to be kept in irons till he could be brought to a court-martial, which, no doubt, would sift the affair to the bottom (by which means important discoveries might be made), and then sentence the criminal to a death according to his demerits.

This suggestion, improbable as it was, had the desired effect upon the captain, being exactly calculated for the meridan of his intellects; more especially as Dr.Mackshane espoused this opinion, in consequence of his previous declaration that the man was not mad.

Morgan finding there was no more damage done, could not help discovering by his countenance the pleasure he enjoyed on this occasion; and, while he bathed the doctor's face with an embrocation, ventured to ask him, whether he thought there were more fools or madmen on board?
But he would have been wiser in containing this sally, which his patient carefully laid up in his memory, to be taken notice of at a more fit season.

Meanwhile we weighed anchor, and, on our way to the Downs, the madman, who was treated as a prisoner, took an opportunity, while the sentinel attending him was at the head, to leap and frustrate the revenge of the captain.

We stayed not long at the Downs, but took the benefit of the first easterly wind to go round to Spithead: where, having received provisions on board for six months, we sailed from St.Helen's in the grand fleet bound for the West Indies, on the ever-memorable expedition of Carthagena.
It was not without great mortification I saw myself on the point of being transported to such a distant and unhealthy climate, destitute of every convenience that could render such a voyage supportable, and under the dominion of an arbitrary tyrant, whose command was almost intolerable; however, as these complaints were common to a great many on board, I resolved to submit patiently to my fate, and contrive to make myself as easy as the nature of the case would allow.