ows her way up to George's Quay by herself."

"Had you done so, Pat, you'd have been carried off, and made to serve as
pilot on board a French ship till the end of the war," answered Captain
Tracy.

"Maybe you're right, captain; but see, she carries the English flag, and
no Frenchman would have the impudence to come into our harbour," said
the pilot.

"That gentleman says she is French, and he ought to know, for he
belonged to her," observed the captain, pointing to Lieutenant Vinoy.
Pat Monaghan, however, was not convinced; though, as the stranger was
rapidly running out of the harbour again, he had no opportunity of
ascertaining for himself. Under Pat's pilotage the _Ouzel Galley_ stood
on up the harbour, which now narrowed considerably. At length she
rounded Cheek Point, when with a fair wind she ran up the Suir, on the
south bank of which Waterford is situated. It was late in the evening
when at last she dropped her anchor off George's Quay. Before her
canvas was furled, Mr Ferris, the senior partner of her owners, Ferris,
Twigg, and Cash, came on board, and warmly congratulated the captain on
his safe return. On hearing of the gallant way in which possession of
the _Ouzel Galley_ had been regained, Mr Ferris invited Norah and
Gerald to his house.

"My daughter Ellen will be delighted to see her old schoolfellow, Miss
Tracy, who was a great favourite of hers," he said; "and many of my
friends will be glad to see your son, who from your account was the
principal actor in your adventure."

"I must not praise Gerald too much," said Captain Tracy, after he had
accepted the invitation; "my mate, Owen Massey, was the chief concoctor
of the plot, and had I not a high opinion of his judgment and courage, I
should not have ventured to give my consent to it."

Before leaving the ship, Captain Tracy was anxious to be relieved of his
prisoners. Mr Ferris hurried back to the chief magistrate of the town,
who at once sent down a guard to march them off to the jail. The
lieutenant, however, on being brought before him, was more courteously
treated, and on giving his parole not to leave the town or to
communicate with the enemy, he was allowed to be at large. As soon as
he was set at liberty he received an invitation from Mr Ferris to take
up his abode at his house in King Street.

Thankful indeed was Owen Massey when, the prisoners having been carried
off, he was able to give up charge of the ship and go on shore.