their trainers. The whole
meeting, in fact, was what is vulgarly called a bilk. But where is Sir
John?"

"I beg your pardon, sir?"

"His Excellency--you have made him comfortable?"

"His Excellency, sir, has not turned up. In fact," said the first
lieutenant prettily, "I fancy that His Excellency, too, must have done
what is--er--vulgarly termed a bilk."

Captain Suckling stared from his lieutenant to the shore, and from the
shore to the horizon.

"The boat waited no less than five hours for him yesterday, and in the
end brought off his valet with some luggage. He gave us to understand
that Sir John and his Secretary would follow in a shore-boat. This was
twenty-four hours ago, and they have not appeared."

"Extraordinary!"

"I have to report also," said the first lieutenant, "that at seven
o'clock, in accordance with orders, Mr. Fraser took a party ashore.
The press has been active of late, and at first they found the whole town
shy: in fact, sir, they met with no success at all until midnight, when,
just as they were on the point of returning, they raided a house and
brought off eight able-bodied fellows--as fine a lot, sir, physically, as
you could wish to see. For their seamanship I am unable to answer, having
had no opportunity to question them. To judge from his report Mr. Fraser
handled the affair well, and brought them off expeditiously; and I am
relieved to tell you that, so far, we have had no trouble from shore--not
so much as an inquiry sent."

"That is luck, indeed," said Captain Suckling approvingly; "and a comfort
to hear at the end of a day when everything has gone wrong. Fetch them
up--that is, if they are sufficiently recovered; fetch them up, and when
I've shifted these clothes I'll have a look at them while daylight
serves."

The Captain went below: and five minutes later I saw the first of the
prisoners haled up through the hatchway. It was the man in the double
overcoat; but he had lost his colour, and he no sooner reached the deck
than he lurched and sat down with a thud. Since no one helped him to
rise, he remained seated, and gazed about him with a drugged and vacuous
stare, while the light of the approaching sunset shimmered over his
mother-of-pearl buttons.

The next to emerge was my friend of the splendid torso, handcuffed and
fettered. When he, too, lurched and fell, I became aware for the first
time that the frigate was rocking on a gentle south-westerly swell, and I