enant and midshipman in her. As they sprang on
deck, the latter came running aft.

"Don't you know me, father?" he exclaimed, as he got up to Captain
Tracy.

"What, Gerald, my boy! You've grown so tall and brown that, thinking
you away in the West Indies, I didn't till this moment," answered
Captain Tracy.

"But I thought it was he," cried Norah, as Gerald bestowed on her a
brotherly embrace. He then shook hands with Owen, to whom Lieutenant
Foley, who was the other officer, had at first addressed himself; but,
seeing Norah, he advanced and paid his respects, inquiring for her
friend Miss Ferris.

"She is well, and about to sail for Jamaica on board this vessel,"
answered Norah. "You will, if you land at Dublin, have an opportunity
of seeing her."

"I hope, then, that the _Ouzel Galley_ will form one of the next fleet
which we have received orders to convoy to the West Indies," said
Lieutenant Foley. "Having been sent home with despatches, we landed at
Plymouth, and were on our way round here when we ran out of our course
in chase of a strange sail. She, however, escaped us, and we are now
bound into Dublin Bay. Are you going to remain on board?" he asked.

"I am afraid not," said Norah; "but I am sure that it will be
satisfactory to Mr Ferris to learn that your ship will convoy them.
Should I see them before you do, I will tell them so."

Thereon the lieutenant sent several messages to Ellen, which Norah
promised to deliver, as duty might possibly delay him from going on
shore. He then turned to Owen.

"I was sent to press some of the hands out of your ship," he said, "but
if you are about again to sail, I feel authorised to take only those who
have not agreed to return with you; and I must beg you to muster your
crew."

Whatever might have been the intentions of the men, they one and all
agreed to re-enter for the next voyage on board the _Ouzel Galley_, and
Owen thus secured an experienced crew instead of the untried hands he
might afterwards have picked up.

"It is fortunate that you fell in with us instead of any other
man-of-war, or you would have lost your best hands," said Gerald; "and
we, I suspect, shall have to send pressgangs on shore to pick up all the
fellows we can find. You had better give a hint to your men not to
trust themselves out of the ship, for all would be fish who come to our
net, they may depend on that."

Gerald had to return with Lieutenant Foley to the _Champion_, wh