seas, with every man's hand against her, and her hand
against every man. The captain, by means best known to himself, had
obtained a privateer's licence, and in that character he appeared when
in English waters, though her real employment was more than suspected by
the revenue officers, who were on the look-out to catch her. In this
they had invariably failed, owing to the vigilance of her crew, and to
the exact information they received from their agents on shore. Dick,
turning out of the skipper's bunk, went on deck.

He was greeted by Ben Rudall. "You are safe enough now, lad, from the
constables who may be hunting for you through the country; and glad I am
to have you on board the _Nancy_. When we get back you must remain
stowed away until we are at sea again, and in a short time they'll get
tired of looking for you."

"I hope they won't revenge themselves on my father," said Dick; "that's
what's troubling me now!"

"No fear of that, for he is not answerable for what you do, any more
than you are for his acts, and as he doesn't know where you are, he
can't tell them."

"I wish, however, that I could let mother and Janet know that I am all
safe; they may be fretting for me," said Dick.

"Never you fear, they'll guess that," said Ben, trying to set Dick's
mind at ease on the subject. "It doesn't do to think about home or
anything of that sort when we are out on a cruise. Cheer up, lad! cheer
up!"

A fresh breeze was blowing from the north-west. The stars were shining
brightly out of a clear sky, and the lugger, close hauled, was passing
the Needle rocks, which could be dimly seen rising out of the dark water
like huge giants on the lee beam, while astern were visible the lights
on Hurst point now brought into one. The lugger having rounded the
western end of the Isle of Wight, the helm was put up, the yards squared
away, the flying topsails and big squaresail set, and she stood across
Channel, bounding lightly over the dancing seas. A craft with a fast
pair of heels alone could have caught her. Her hardy crew remained on
deck, for all hands might at any moment have been required for an
emergency, either to shorten sail, or to alter her course, should a
suspicious vessel appear in sight. All night long the lugger kept on
her course, steering westward of south.

"I say, Ben, how do the Frenchmen treat us if we go on shore, seeing
that we and they are fighting each other?" asked Dick.

"Never you fe