captain laconically.

"You're not going to tie us?" said Vince, flushing.

"Yais, bose togezaire," said the Frenchman, with a grin of satisfaction
at seeing the boy moved to indignant protest.

"But if we say we will not try to escape?" cried Vince.

"I vill not believes you. _Non, mon ami_, ve have enough of ze _peine_
to _attraper_ you again. Two slippery _garcons_. I tie you bose like
ze mutton sheep, and zen if von shump to run avays he pull ze ozaire
down. _Vous comprenez_?"

"Oh yes, I comprong," cried Vince contemptuously. "Just like a
Frenchman. An Englishman would not be afraid of a boy."

"Vat!" cried the captain, showing his teeth, as he raised his hand to
strike--when, quick as lightning, the boy threw himself into an attitude
of defence; but the men seized him and dragged his arms behind his back.

"That's right, coward!" cried Vince, half mad now with excitement.

At the word coward the captain's face looked black as night, his
right-hand was thrust into his breast pocket, and he drew out and cocked
a small pistol, while Mike darted to his companion's side, laid his
hands across Vince's breast, and faced the captain; but he was seized by
one of the men, who passed the line about his wrists after it had been
dexterously fastened round those of his fellow-prisoner.

"Never mind, Mike; but I like that, old chap!" cried Vince. "Well done!
Let's show him what English boys are like: he daren't shoot us. Do you
hear, Jacques? _vous n'oses pas_."

"Aha! You begin by stumble blunder bad French, you _canaille_ boy. I
not dare shoot you?"

"No," said Vince defiantly, as the pistol was presented full at his
face. "You dare not, you great coward!"

"Aha, _encore_? You call me coward, _une insulte! Mais bah_! It is
only a silly boy. Tie zem bose togezaire, my lad, an trow zem in ze
boat. Silly boy! Like two shicken _volatile_ go to be roace for
dinnaire. _Non, arretez_; stop, my lad. Coward! It was _une insulte_.
Now you apologise me."

"I won't," said Vince sturdily: "you are a coward to tie up two boys
like this."

The black wrath in the Frenchman's face at these words made Mike shiver,
and he pressed closer to Vince as the pistol was raised once more.

"Don't--don't," he whispered. "Say something: we are so helpless."

"Aha! I hear vat he say. Yais, you apologise me, sare."

"I won't," said Vince, who, with nerves strung by the agony he felt at
his wrists, which were being c