I must therefore beg for your company--you will require the attendance
of the surgeon, and one wounded man is enough for that young lady to
look after."

Carnegan appeared to be expostulating; but the French officer refused to
accede to his request, and hurried him on board, without allowing him
even the opportunity of wishing farewell to Norah.

The French crew had in the mean time brought a fresh topmast on board
the _Ouzel Galley_, to supply the place of the one shot away, and had
been busily employed in getting it up. They had not, however, completed
the work when the look-out from the mast-head of the French ship
shouted, "A sail to the south-east!" and they were immediately summoned
back to their own ship. A young lieutenant and seven men, forming the
prize crew, then came on board the _Ouzel Galley_, the surgeon being the
last person to quit her.

"Who is the officer who boarded us, and what is the name of your ship?"
asked Captain Tracy, after expressing his thanks to the surgeon for his
attention.

"He is Captain Thurot, and his ship is the _Coquille_, the most
celebrated privateer out of Dunkirk," was the answer. "It is positively
an honour to be captured by him--let that be your consolation, my dear
sir."

"Faith, it's but a poor consolation, then," answered Captain Tracy; "but
I thank you for suggesting even a shadow of comfort. I will follow your
directions with regard to my poor wounded fellows, and once again beg to
express my gratitude for what you have done for them."

The _Coquille_ immediately casting off her prize, made all sail in chase
of the stranger, the rapidly approaching shades of evening soon
concealing her from sight. The French prize crew, aided by the seamen
of the _Ouzel Galley_, went on with the work which had been left
incomplete of setting up the main-topmast rigging and getting the yard
across. Night compelled them to knock off before the work was finished.
The wind, however, continued steady, and the ship ran on almost dead
before it under her head-sails the French officer, Lieutenant Vinoy, was
a remarkably polite young gentleman, but whether or not he was a good
seaman remained to be proved. He expressed his wish in no way to
incommode Mademoiselle, as he called Norah, and declared that he should
be perfectly satisfied to occupy the second mate's cabin, and would on
no account turn her or her father out of theirs. Besides himself, he
had but one person, a petty off