atus Wright had had a sweet revenge. He laughed long and
hard, while the Frenchmen said, "Curse heem! He ees a devil! A
thousand curses upon the head of thees Wright! Sapristi!" And they did
not open any more bottles of wine for their supposedly great captain
from Marseilles.

As for Fortunatus Wright, he continued to harass the French and get
into trouble, as the following anecdote well shows.

Not long after his famous battle, he was travelling in Italy with
introductions to many of the nobility, and arrived--one day--before
the city gates of Lucca. Here was stationed a guard, and a sentinel
scrutinized him with great care and deliberation.

Fortunatus Wright grew impatient.

"Can I not go by?" said he. "My passports are correct!"

"No! No!" answered the soldier. "I no likea zose peestols in your
belta. You must deeliver them to me before you can go to ze ceety."

The English sea-captain said nothing, but the color rose in his
cheeks. In an instant he raised one of his pistols and pointed it at
the head of the astonished sentry.

"The first man that endeavors to take my weapons from me," he yelled,
"does so at the cost of his life!"

The guardsman was flabbergasted.

"Corporal of the Guard! Post Number Two!" he shouted, presenting his
musket at the same instant, and pointing it at the head of the
irascible Captain Wright.

Immediately a dozen soldiers came running to the spot. They surrounded
the irate English traveller. He was ordered to "Throw up your hands!"

"You air one mad Englishmana!" said the Officer of the Guard. "Here.
Comea weeth usa! We weel feexa youa!"

Seeing that the odds were too much against him, Captain Wright allowed
himself to be taken to the guard house, while a soldier was dispatched
to the British Ambassador in order to explain that "they had captured
an Englishman as mad as a mad dog!"

Things looked bad for the great privateersman. But was his name not
Fortunatus? And was not good fortune always with him?

A nobleman to whom the bold mariner had a letter now intervened in his
favor, and secured the release of the high-tempered man-of-the-sea. On
the morning of the fourth day of his captivity, and at the early hour
of four, a soldier waked Captain Fortunatus Wright, who was peacefully
sleeping at a military prison. A missive was handed him, and he read:

"SEIGNEUR WRIGHT:--Since you have been so daring as to
attempt to enter the town of Lucca by force, it is
the