Mesty declared that he knew nothing about it.
"Then Mesty, it appears to me that we have a better chance of finding our way back to Gibraltar; for you know the land was on our left side all the way coming up the Mediterranean; and if we keep it, as it is now, on our right, we shall get back again along the coast." Mesty agreed with Jack that this was the ne plus ultra of navigation; and that old Smallsole could not do better with his "pig-yoke" and compasses.

So they shook a reef out of the topsails, set top-gallant sails, and ran directly down the coast from point to point, keeping about five miles distant.

The men prepared a good dinner; Mesty gave them their allowance of wine, which was just double what they had on board the Harpy--so they soon appeared to be content.

One man, indeed, talked very big and very mutinously, swearing that if the others would join him they would soon have liquor enough; but Mesty gave him his look, opened his knife, and swore that he would settle him, and Jack knocked him down with a handspike; so that, what with the punishment received, and that which was promised, the fellow thought he might as well say no more about it.

The fact is, that had it not been from fear of Mesty, the whole of the men would, in all probability, have behaved equally as bad; nevertheless, they were a little staggered, it must be owned, at seeing Jack play so good a stick with the handspike.
After this night Jack and Mesty kept watch and watch, and everything went on very well until they were nearly abreast of Carthagena, when a gale came on from the northward, and drove them out of sight of land.
Sail after sail was reduced with difficulty from their having so few hands, and the gale blew for three days with great fury.