advantage of me, since you can
speak their darned lingo. So they've gone an' 'rested you, too--have
they?"

"It's that infernal Cazeneau," said Claude; "and I haven't got the
faintest idea why."

"Cazeneau, is it? O, well," said Zac, "they're all alike. It's my
opinion that it's the captain of the frigate, an' he's doin' it in
Cazeneau's name. Ye see he's ben a cruisin' about, an' hankers after
a prize; an' I'm the only one he's picked up. You're
'rested--course--as one of the belongin's of the Parson. You an' I
an' the hull crew: that's it! We're all prisoners of war!"

"O, no," said Claude. "It isn't that, altogether; there's some deeper
game."

"Pooh!" said Zac; "the game ain't a deep one, at all; it's an
every-day game. But I must say it is hard to be done for jest because
we had a leetle too much hooman feelin'. Now, ef we'd only let them
Frenchies rot and drown on their raft,--or ef we'd a' taken them as
prisoners to Boston,--we'd ben spared this present tribulation."

Zac heaved a sigh as he said this, and turned away. Then a sudden
thought struck him.

"O, look here," said he; "jest ask 'em one thing, as a partiklar
favor. You needn't mention me, though. It's this. Ask 'em if they
won't leave me free--that is, I don't want to be handcuffed."

"Handcuffed!" exclaimed Claude, grinding his teeth in futile rage.
"They won't dare to do that!"

"O, you jest ask this Moosoo, as a favor. They needn't object."

Upon this Claude turned to the officer.

"Monsieur," said he, "I have a favor to ask. I and my friend here are
your prisoners, but we do not wish to be treated with unnecessary
indignity or insult. I ask, then, that we may be spared the insult of
being bound. Our offence has not been great. Wo have only saved the
lives of six of your fellow-countrymen. Is it presumption to expect
this favor?"

"Monsieur," said the officer, "I assure you that, as far as I have
anything to say, you shall not be bound. And as to this brave fellow,
he may be at liberty to move about in this schooner as long as he is
quiet and gives no offence--that is, for the present. And now,
monsieur, I will ask you to accompany me on board the Aigle."

With these words the officer prepared to quit the schooner. Before
doing so he addressed some words to the six seamen, who were to be
left in charge as a prize crew, with one midshipman at their head. He
directed them to follow the frigate until further orders, and also,
until furt