AP.

The schooner was now directed towards the stranger, and before very
long they saw that her course had been changed, and that she was now
bearing down upon them. Zac stood at the helm saying nothing, but
keeping his eyes fixed upon the frigate, which drew nearer and
nearer, till finally she came near enough for her flag to be plainly
seen. They had been right in their conjectures, and the new comer was
a French frigate. This assurance seemed to open the mouth of Zac.

"I must say," he remarked to Claude, "the nearer I get to her, the
less I like it. I've met Moosoo before this on the high seas, but I
allus went on the plan of keepin' out of his way. This here system of
goin' right into his jaws don't suit me at all."

"O, come now," said Claude, "don't begin again. I thought you'd given
up all anxiety. There's not the slightest occasion for being worried
about it. I'll find out whether they can take me to Louisbourg, and
so I'll leave you, and you'll get back to Boston quicker than if you
took me where you first proposed."

"Yes; but suppose she's goin' to France, and chooses to take me
prisoner?" said Zac.

"O, nonsense!" said Claude. "They couldn't. What, after saving so
many lives, and conveying these rescued fellow-countrymen to their
own flag, do you suppose they could think of arresting you? Nonsense!
The thing's impossible."

Zac said no more, but was evidently ill at ease, and in his own mind
there was no end of dark forebodings as to the event of this meeting.
These forebodings were in no way lessened as the schooner rounded to
under the lee of the frigate, and Zac saw a row of guns heavy enough
to blow him and his "Parson" to atoms. The frigate did not wait for
the schooner to send a boat aboard, for her own boat was all ready,
and soon appeared, well manned, rowing towards the schooner. On
coming alongside, the officer in command stepped on board, and Claude
at once went forward to meet him. Cazeneau also walked forward with
the same purpose.

Claude politely raised his hat, and the officer civilly returned his
greeting.

"This, monsieur, is the schooner Amos Adams, of Boston. We have
recently picked up the survivors of His Royal French Majesty's
frigate 'Arethuse,' which has been lost at sea, and we have come to
see whether you could take them. Will you have the goodness to tell
me where you are going?"

"Mon Dieu!" exclaimed the officer, "the Arethuse lost! Is it
possible? What a terrible