{"id":"01KG8AKKFXXGM7GXFHYQ3JQVP3","cid":"bafkreigfzxzxzynirfgwepq4rzmtoog7ed6jfs3cm5cgr5kxdvbxkuzxky","type":"chunk","properties":{"end_line":4881,"extracted_at":"2026-01-30T20:48:05.591Z","extracted_by":"structure-extraction-lambda","label":"Chunk 1","source_file":"01KG89J1DKC9HHJRKY25JZBEXW","start_line":4796,"text":"“Looks like a pewter platter and knife and fork, Captain Paul.”\r\n\r\n“So they do, my lion; but come, curse it, the old cock has flown; fine\r\nhen, though, left in the nest; no use; we must away empty-handed.”\r\n\r\n“Why, ain’t Mr. Selkirk in?” demanded Israel in roguish concern.\r\n\r\n“Mr. Selkirk? Alexander Selkirk, you mean. No, lad, he’s not on the\r\nIsle of St. Mary’s; he’s away off, a hermit, on the Isle of Juan\r\nFernandez—the more’s the pity; come.”\r\n\r\nIn the porch they encountered the two officers. Paul briefly informed\r\nthem of the circumstances, saying, nothing remained but to depart\r\nforthwith.\r\n\r\n“With nothing at all for our pains?” murmured the two officers.\r\n\r\n“What, pray, would you have?”\r\n\r\n“Some pillage, to be sure—plate.”\r\n\r\n“Shame. I thought we were three gentlemen.”\r\n\r\n“So are the English officers in America; but they help themselves to\r\nplate whenever they can get it from the private houses of the enemy.”\r\n\r\n“Come, now, don’t be slanderous,” said Paul; “these officers you speak\r\nof are but one or two out of twenty, mere burglars and light-fingered\r\ngentry, using the king’s livery but as a disguise to their nefarious\r\ntrade. The rest are men of honor.”\r\n\r\n“Captain Paul Jones,” responded the two, “we have not come on this\r\nexpedition in much expectation of regular pay; but we _did_ rely upon\r\nhonorable plunder.”\r\n\r\n“Honorable plunder! That’s something new.”\r\n\r\nBut the officers were not to be turned aside. They were the most\r\nefficient in the ship. Seeing them resolute, Paul, for fear of\r\nincensing them, was at last, as a matter of policy, obliged to comply.\r\nFor himself, however, he resolved to have nothing to do with the\r\naffair. Charging the officers not to allow the men to enter the house\r\non any pretence, and that no search must be made, and nothing must be\r\ntaken away, except what the lady should offer them upon making known\r\ntheir demand, he beckoned to Israel and retired indignantly towards the\r\nbeach. Upon second thoughts, he dispatched Israel back, to enter the\r\nhouse with the officers, as joint receiver of the plate, he being, of\r\ncourse, the most reliable of the seamen.\r\n\r\nThe lady was not a little disconcerted on receiving the officers. With\r\ncool determination they made known their purpose. There was no escape.\r\nThe lady retired. The butler came; and soon, several silver salvers,\r\nand other articles of value, were silently deposited in the parlor in\r\nthe presence of the officers and Israel.\r\n\r\n“Mister Butler,” said Israel, “let me go into the dairy and help to\r\ncarry the milk-pans.”\r\n\r\nBut, scowling upon this rusticity, or roguishness—he knew not which—the\r\nbutler, in high dudgeon at Israel’s republican familiarity, as well as\r\nblack as a thundercloud with the general insult offered to an\r\nillustrious household by a party of armed thieves, as he viewed them,\r\ndeclined any assistance. In a quarter of an hour the officers left the\r\nhouse, carrying their booty.\r\n\r\nAt the porch they were met by a red-cheeked, spiteful-looking lass,\r\nwho, with her brave lady’s compliments, added two child’s rattles of\r\nsilver and coral to their load.\r\n\r\nNow, one of the officers was a Frenchman, the other a Spaniard.\r\n\r\nThe Spaniard dashed his rattle indignantly to the ground. The Frenchman\r\ntook his very pleasantly, and kissed it, saying to the girl that he\r\nwould long preserve the coral, as a memento of her rosy cheeks.\r\n\r\nWhen the party arrived on the beach, they found Captain Paul writing\r\nwith pencil on paper held up against the smooth tableted side of the\r\ncliff. Next moment he seemed to be making his signature. With a\r\nreproachful glance towards the two officers, he handed the slip to\r\nIsrael, bidding him hasten immediately with it to the house and place\r\nit in Lady Selkirk’s own hands.\r\n\r\nThe note was as follows:\r\n\r\n“Madame:\r\n\r","title":"Chunk 1"},"relationships":[{"peer":"01KG8AK6WA1KHMDWH63DATBJFN","peer_type":"subsection","predicate":"in"},{"peer":"01KG89J1DKC9HHJRKY25JZBEXW","peer_type":"file","predicate":"extractedFrom"},{"peer":"01KG89HMDZKNY753EZE1CJ8HZW","peer_type":"collection","predicate":"collection"},{"peer":"01KG8AKKFXPSJ3T4X884YFPY41","peer_type":"chunk","predicate":"next"}],"ver":2,"created_at":"2026-01-30T20:48:09.725Z","ts":"2026-01-30T20:48:16.345Z","edited_by":{"method":"manual","user_id":"01KFF0H3YRP9ZSM033AM0QJ47H"}}