almost at the same moment a hand was
laid upon the boy's shoulder.

"Come," said the captain; "it is time for ze dinnaire. You are bose
hungry?--yais, I know."

Vince would have liked to decline, so strong was his desire to study the
key to the entrance of the secret little port; but to refuse to go down
was impossible, and he preceded his host through the cabin-hatch, where
a swinging lamp was burning and the deadlights were closed so that not a
gleam could escape. The tureen steamed on the table, they were in no
danger, and healthy young appetite prevailed, for the soup was good even
if the biscuits were flinty and hard.

As for the captain, it seemed absurd to associate him with smuggling or
pistols, for he played the host in the most amiable manner when fish
succeeded the soup; but as it was being discussed there were hurried
sounds on deck. Men were running to and fro; then came the peculiar
dull, rasping sound of cables being hauled in through hawser holes, and
a slight motion told that they were starting.

Vince ceased eating, and his eyes were involuntarily turned to the side,
when the captain said laughingly,--

"It is nozing, my younger _ami_, and ze bulkhead side is not glass: you
cannot see nozing. You vant to know? Vell, my sheep is in ze sharge of
ze pilot, and ze men cast off. If he take her out quite vell, sank you,
ve sall soon be at sea. If he make ze grand error he put my sheep on ze
rock, vich make ze hole and you sall hear ze vater run in. You bose can
svim? Yais? Good, but you need not try: you stay down here vis me and
not take trouble, but go to ze bottom like ze brave _homme_, for ze big
tide on'y take you avay and knock you against ze rock. Now eat you
feesh."

It was not a pleasant addition to the boys' dinner, but they went on
listening in the intervals of the captain's many speeches, and picturing
to themselves how the great lugger was being carefully piloted along a
sharp current and steered here and there, apparently doubling upon her
course more than once. But by the time the boiled fowl was nearly eaten
there was a steady heeling over, following the sound of the hoisting of
a sail. Then the vessel heeled over a little more, and seemed to dance
for a minute in rough water, as if she were passing over some awkward
place. The captain smiled.

"My sheep she is lively," he said. "She sink it vas time not to be tied
by ze head and tail, so she commence to dance. Zat is