bought a couple of hunters for the accommodation of himself and his
lieutenant. With this equipage, then, he set out from the garrison
for the church, after having despatched a messenger to apprise the
bride that he and his company were mounted. She got immediately
into the coach, accompanied by her brother and his wife, and drove
directly to the place of assignation, where several pews were
demolished, and divers persons almost pressed to death, by the
eagerness of the crowd that broke in to see the ceremony performed.
Thus arrived at the altar, and the priest in attendance, they waited
a whole half-hour for the commodore, at whose slowness they began
to be under some apprehension, and accordingly dismissed a servant
to quicken his pace. The valet having ridden something more than
a mile, espied the whole troop disposed in a long field, crossing
the road obliquely, and headed by the bridegroom and his friend
Hatchway, who, finding himself hindered by a hedge from proceeding
farther in the same direction, fired a pistol, and stood over to
the other side, making an obtuse angle with the line of his former
course; and the rest of the squadron followed his example, keeping
always in the rear of each other, like a flight of wild geese.

Surprised at this strange method of journeying, the messenger came
up, and told the commodore that his lady and her company expected
him in the church, where they had tarried a considerable time,
and were beginning to be very uneasy at his delay, and therefore
desired he would proceed with more expedition. To this message Mr.
Trunnion replied, "Hark ye, brother, don't you see we make all
possible speed? go back, and tell those who sent you, that the
wind has shifted since we weighed anchor, and that we are obliged
to make very short trips in tacking, by reason of the narrowness
of the channel; and that as we be within six points of the wind,