-bounder?" exclaimed Bowen with contemptuous emphasis, "why--
but there, I suppose you don't know anything about it, or you wouldn't
talk like that."

"About what?" asked George, completely mystified.

"Why, about our prize that we took that dark night on the passage out--
the privateer brig--the _Jeune Virginie_. She's lying down there at
Port Royal, safe and sound, with a British crew on board her; and all
you've got to do, cap'n, is to make your claim, and establish your
identity, and the ship or her value will be handed over to you."

"Is it possible?" exclaimed George. "Then we are lucky indeed. But you
must explain the whole affair to me."

"That's easy enough," answered Bowen. "The very first time I entered
Port Royal harbour I saw the craft lying there, and knew her again at
once. Thinks I to myself, `Now, Dick Bowen, my lad, your first duty is
to recover possession of that prize on behalf of the skipper.' So off I
goes to the admiral, stated my case, and made my claim.

"`That's all very well, my fine fellow,' says he, `and I don't doubt but
what you're telling the truth; but, you see,' says he, `you can't
_prove_ it. Now I _must_ have something beyond your bare word before I
give up possession of the brig. When you can bring me something in the
shape of proof that what you say is true, come to me again, and I'll see
what can be done in the matter.'

"Of course that was all right and straight-for'ard enough, so I went
away, and troubled no more about it. The craft is safe enough; they've
been using her as a cruiser, and taking care of her, and I don't doubt
but what she's in just as good order as she was on the night when we
took her. And now, all we've got to do is to go to the admiral again,
and make our claim. There's _three_ of us this time, so that there'll
be no difficulty at all in getting her delivered over to us."

CHAPTER TWENTY ONE.

THE "AURORA" TURNS UP AGAIN.

That same day George waited upon the admiral and formally laid claim to
the _Jeune Virginie_. He was very well received, his statement
patiently listened to, and--to make a long story short--in about three
weeks afterwards the claim was actually allowed, and the vessel handed
over to her rightful owners.

George was agreeably surprised, for--notwithstanding Bowen's implicit
confidence--he fully anticipated that there would be some trouble over
the matter. Legal possession once obtained, Leicester had no difficulty