the helm to
be put a-lee, but before the frigate got her head to the wind we were
aground. The captain immediately ordered the sails to be clewed up and
handed. While the people were on the yards, we caught sight of a boat
pulling from the brig towards the town. Just then, before the people
were off the yards, a sudden flaw of wind drove the ship's head off the
bank. Hoping now to get off, the order was given to hoist the driver
and mizzen-staysail, and to keep the sheets to windward. The instant
the ship lost her way, the bower-anchor was let go, on which she tended
to the wind; but the after-part of her keel was still aground. The
launch and cutter were now hoisted out, and I jumped into the first to
carry out the kedge-anchor, with two hawsers, in order to warp the ship
clear. We worked away with a will, for we did not like the thoughts of
being seen on shore by the rest of the fleet at daybreak. That was all
we just then thought about. At length we succeeded in getting her
completely afloat, and were returning to the ship, when we saw a boat go
alongside, and being hailed, she answered, "Captain Someone," but we did
not catch the name, and up the side he went with two other persons, who
seemed to be officers. On reaching the deck he introduced himself as a
French captain, and said that it was the regulation of the port, and
according to the commands of the admiral, that vessels should go into
another part of the harbour and do ten days' quarantine.

On this, Captain Hood asked where the _Victory_, the admiral's ship,
lay. The French officer hesitated, and then said she was far up the
harbour.

Just then Harry, who had a sharp eye, exclaimed somewhat loudly to a
messmate--

"Why, the fellows have the Republican cockades in their hats!"

The captain overheard him; and, looking more earnestly at the
Frenchmen's hats, he saw by the light of the moon, to his dismay, the
three Republican colours. He put another question about the admiral,
when the French officer, finding that he and his companions were
suspected, replied--

"Make yourselves easy; the English are good people, and we will treat
them kindly; the English admiral has departed some time."

I can just fancy how our brave captain felt.

"We are prisoners!" exclaimed one of the officers; and the word, like
wildfire, ran along the deck, while several of the officers hurried up
to the captain to learn the truth. We all knew what we had to expect