e that the money was divided when
captured, and the jewels either given to the women or sold. They were
things that might be disposed of anywhere. At any rate we found none of
them, and the only cash is, as I told you, the twelve thousand five
hundred pounds that the prizes fetched, out of which our share is not
likely to be more than twenty or thirty pounds each. Still, that is not
to be despised."

"It will come to more than that," one of the party said. "I have
calculated it up, and though I have not the exact rules--"

"Well, if you haven't got the exact rules, Macleod, your calculations
are not worth more than our guesses. It won't be much more than forty
pounds anyhow, and I suppose a bit more than that for our share of the
prizes captured here. Of course they were worth a good deal more, but
then there are all the ships-of-war to share. If our prize turns out as
well as I hope, it will come to a good bit more, as it is only to be
divided among the _Tigre's_ crew."

"You and Blagrove are going home in the prize, are you not?"

"Yes, I carry Sir Sidney's despatches; Blagrove gets three months'
leave."

"Who is going to command the craft that you have bought for your father,
Blagrove?"

"I have persuaded the captain of that store-ship that came in yesterday
to let me have his second officer for two or three months. She is likely
to be here some time; and if we have luck, and his mate gets a return
passage soon after he arrives in England, he may be back again in six
weeks. From another ship of the same sort I got a young fellow for mate.
The ships are chartered by government, and will likely enough be here
for months, as they will furnish stores not only to the ships on the
coast, but to any that may come down here from the fleet blockading
Toulon. In fact they will act as general shore-ships, until they have
cleared out their cargo."

"Then he will be your captain?"

"He will be entered on the ship's books as captain," Edgar replied with
a laugh; "but I fancy that Wilkinson and myself will not care to be idle
on the voyage."

Three days after the cargo was transferred, twenty invalids were placed
on board. Two or three had lost limbs, but the rest were men who had
been pulled down by fever and could not shake it off so long as they
were on the coast. On the following morning the anchor was got up and
the _Suzanne_ sailed for England. The nominal captain was a smart young
sailor, who was glad indeed of t