avits of the
cruiser, the oars dipped, and she came skimming along with a steady
pull, and every stroke pulled clean and with hardly a splash, till she
came alongside, when, to the delight of Rodd, there in the stern-sheets
were the same officer and middy who had overhauled them off the African
coast.

Rodd was all eagerness, and advanced ready to grasp hands with the
reefer, but to his great surprise everything was coldly stern and
formal. Two marines followed the officers on board, and the skipper,
doctor, and Rodd were ordered down into the boat as prisoners, while a
prize crew under the command of the middy, who looked more important
than he did upon his first visit to the schooner, and stared at Rodd as
if he had never seen him before, was left on board.

Uncle Paul spoke to the lieutenant, but his words were received almost
in silence, while no explanation being forthcoming, he sat still and
frowned.

The sloop of war, their old friend, was soon reached, and the prisoners
were marched up to the quarter-deck where the captain stood waiting for
them, scanning them sternly before beginning to question the skipper as
to the name of the schooner and their object in those waters.

Questions were answered and explanations given in Captain Chubb's most
blunt and straightforward way, before the captain turned his searching
eyes upon Uncle Paul.

"Then you are Dr Robson, sir?" he said.

"Yes. May I ask--"

"You are here carrying out a scientific research?"

"Yes."

"In company with your consort, Count Des Saix, of the French brig
_Dagobert_?"

"That's quite right, sir; but may I ask--"

"Why you are my prisoners? Certainly. But I will shorten matters by
telling you that your scientific research was a plot to carry off the
prisoner of the British Government, the ex-emperor Napoleon Bonaparte."

"No, sir, I'll be hanged if it was!" cried the doctor.

"Which plot has completely failed," added the captain. "As I have said,
sir, you are my prisoner."

"And what about Captain Chubb, here, and my nephew?"

"They are prisoners too, of course."

"But my schooner--my pleasure yacht?" said the doctor.

The captain slightly shrugged his shoulders, as he smiled--

"That will be well taken care of, sir, you may depend."

------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Ah, Rodd, my boy," said the doctor, shortly afterwards, "you are
getting plenty of adventures; but you needn't be