hey do it because they must," Gomez answered coolly. "If you came
across one of those fellows, you would run him through the body, would
you not?"

The lieutenant now came up to the Spaniard.

"Captain," said he, "the Parisian has heard of you. He says that you
are the only man who really knows the passages of the Antilles and the
Brazilian coast. Will you--"

The captain cut him short with a scornful exclamation.

"I shall die like a sailor," he said, "and a loyal Spaniard and a
Christian. Do you hear?"

"Heave him overboard!" shouted the lieutenant, and a couple of gunners
seized on Gomez.

"You cowards!" roared the General, seizing hold of the men.

"Don't get too excited, old boy," said the lieutenant. "If your red
ribbon has made some impression upon our captain, I myself do not care
a rap for it.--You and I will have our little bit of talk together
directly."

A smothered sound, with no accompanying cry, told the General that the
gallant captain had died "like a sailor," as he had said.

"My money or death!" cried the Marquis, in a fit of rage terrible to
see.

"Ah! now you talk sensibly!" sneered the lieutenant. "That is the way to
get something out of us----"

Two of the men came up at a sign and hastened to bind the Frenchmen's
feet, but with unlooked-for boldness he snatched the lieutenant's
cutlass and laid about him like a cavalry officer who knows his
business.

"Brigands that you are! You shall not chuck one of Napoleon's troopers
over a ship's side like an oyster!"

At the sound of pistol shots fired point blank at the Frenchman,
"the Parisian" looked round from his occupation of superintending the
transfer of the rigging from the _Saint-Ferdinand_. He came up behind
the brave General, seized him, dragged him to the side, and was about
to fling him over with no more concern than if the man had been a broken
spar. They were at the very edge when the General looked into the tawny
eyes of the man who had stolen his daughter. The recognition was mutual.

The captain of the privateer, his arm still upraised, suddenly swung it
in the contrary direction as if his victim was but a feather weight, and
set him down at the foot of the main mast. A murmur rose on the upper
deck, but the captain glanced round, and there was a sudden silence.

"This is Helene's father," said the captain in a clear, firm voice. "Woe
to any one who meddles with him!"

A hurrah of joy went up at the words, a shout ris