Walker entered a boat, in order that he might be put aboard the
_Fleuron_ and give up his sword. When he arrived on the deck he found
the French captain by no means in the politest of humors.

After receiving the weapon of the vanquished privateersman, the
Frenchman thundered in very good English:

"How dare you fire against a force like mine in so small a ship?
Sirrah, you must be stark mad. I compliment you upon your lack of
judgment."

Captain Walker was nettled.

"Sir," he replied, with warmth, "if you will look at my commission you
will find that I had as good a right to fight as you, yourself, had.
Furthermore, if my force had not been so inferior to yours, I would
have shown you more civil treatment on board my own ship, after I had
captured you."

The Frenchman winced.

"How many of your bushwhackers have I killed?" said he.

"None at all, sir!" replied the Englishman.

"Then, sir, you should be well ashamed of your scurvy fighting. For
you have killed six of my brave men and have wounded several with
pieces of glass. Pray, when, sir, did the rules of war allow glass to
be used as ammunition?"

"You lie," cried Captain Walker. "No glass was used by my men."

The Frenchman curbed his anger.

"Then what was it?" said he.

Here a British seaman interrupted.

"If it would please your French Majesty," he said, with a bow, "I
reckon I know what it was that you took for glass. The captain of one
of our stern guns, when he found out that we must surrender, sir, took
about sixteen shillings from his pocket, saying: 'Sooner than let
these French rascals plunder me of all I've got in the world, I'll see
what a bribe can do!' So he wrapped the money up in a bag, sir,
crammed it into a gun, and let fly at your deck. Faith, your men were
lucky to be struck by good, British coin!"

At this all had a good laugh, and the unpleasantness between the
French captain and George Walker was at an end. The privateersman was
treated with the greatest courtesy and was made as comfortable as
could be.

The action took place on Friday and the ships were headed for Brest,
about three days' sail away. At daybreak on Sunday morning, four large
boats were sighted astern, and it did not take long to realize that
they were coming up pretty fast _and were flying the English colors_.

"Hurray!" shouted Captain Walker. "No French prison for me. Hurray!"

The English squadron gained steadily. The boats grew nearer and
nearer,