to his side. "You shall have
some breakfast, and then I must get you to tell me all about yourself.
Unless I am mistaken, we have met before. Are you not Oliver Crofton?"

"Yes, sir," answered the midshipman. "How did you know that, sir?"

"I made a shrewd guess at it," answered the commander, smiling, "and
truly glad I am to have you on board my ship. However, do not exert
yourself just now, but go to sleep again if you can till the steward
brings you your breakfast, and you shall then, if the doctor thinks you
are strong enough, tell me all that has happened."

The commander, coming on deck, told Rayner that he was right in his
conjectures, and invited him to breakfast with him.

The surgeon, however, would not allow Oliver to get up, but said that he
might give an account of his adventures, provided he did not spin too
long a yarn.

"Thank you, sir," said Oliver. "I'll try to collect my thoughts; for,
to say the truth, I find them somewhat scattered at present.

"It must have been nearly ten days ago when the _Ariel_, to which I
belonged, captured a French brig. Captain Matson sent me on board to
take her to Port Royal. We were just in sight of the eastern end of
Jamaica, when a large privateer bore down on us. We did our best to
escape, but as she sailed two feet to our one, and carried twenty-two
guns, we were compelled to yield, and I and my men were taken on board,
while our prize was sent away to one of the French islands.

"The privateer continued her cruise in search of our merchantmen, or any
prizes our ships might have taken. A more ruffianly set of fellows I
never set eyes on. My poor men were robbed of everything they had about
them, and I should have had my jacket taken off my back but for the
interference of the officers, who allowed me to mess with them, and to
go on deck whenever I wished. Considering the style of their
conversation at table, however, I should have thankfully preferred
living by myself.

"When they discovered that you were English, the officers took a fearful
oath that nothing should compel them to yield. They, however, did their
best to escape; but when they found that you had the heels of them, they
made up their minds to fight, fully expecting, I believe, to take you.
Nothing could exceed the savageness of the crew as, stripped to the
waist, they went to their guns. Several of them, as they cast their
eyes on me, vowed that they would shoot me through the head s