you do, I shall
consider it an insult, and immediately repair on board of my vessel.
You will therefore tender my best thanks and my refusal, with ardent
wishes for their future welfare."

"After what you have said, Captain Elrington, I will, of course, not
resume the offer. I will tell my fellow-passengers what you have said,
and I am sure that they will, as I do, admire your high sense of
honour."--The priest shook me by the hand, and then quitted my
apartment. I did not see the other passengers till it was the hour to
go to dine at the governor's, when they embraced me cordially, and the
one calling himself Campbell said, "Should you ever be in distress or
a prisoner in this country, recollect you have a friend who is ready
to serve you. Here is an address to a lady, to whom you must write,
and say that you wish the assistance of your passenger to
Bordeaux--that will be sufficient--I trust you may never require it."

We had a pleasant dinner at the governor's, and among the people
invited to meet us, I perceived the French captain of the privateer. I
knew him immediately, although he did not recognize me. We had some
conversation together, and he spoke about his cruises in the West
Indies, and asked me whether I knew Captain Weatherall. I said there
was a Captain Weatherall who commanded the Revenge privateer, and who
was killed when his vessel was taken.

"Exactly," said the captain; "he was a brave man, and fought nobly,
and so did all his people--they fought like devils."

"Yes," I replied, "they fought as long as they could, but Captain
Weatherall was very short-handed. He had but fifty-five men on board
at the commencement of the action."

"More than that, I'm sure," replied the French captain.

"He had not, I assure you," I replied; "he had lost so many in an
attack on shore, and had so many away in prizes."

Our conversation had attracted general notice, and a French army
officer observed, "Monsieur speaks so positively, that one would
imagine that he was actually on board."

"And so I was, Sir," replied I, "and have my wounds to show for it. I
knew this officer immediately I saw him, for I was close to Captain
Weatherall at the time that this officer expostulated with him before
the action; and I crossed my sword with him during the combat."

"You have convinced me that you were on board," replied the captain of
the privateer, "by your mentioning the expostulations previous to the
combat taking pla