ected nothing very pleasant at their hands. At
last the captain, who had been looking out forward at our ship, came up
to us.

"So, you one little officer of dat frigate dere," he observed.

"Yes," said I, rather proudly; "I have that honour."

"Sa--!" He gave forth a particularly unpleasant sound from his throat,
"You betes Anglish, you send my wessel to bottom last cruise, and sixty
of my braves-garcons wid her. I vow I send every Anglishman I catch to
look for them. S-a-a--."

He looked so vicious that I thought he would execute his threat
forthwith. I did my best, however, to put on a bold front.

"Whereabouts did this happen, Monsieur?" I asked quite coolly.

"Some twenty leagues to eastward dere," he answered, looking hard at me.

"And which way is the tide making," I inquired. I happened to have
heard the master observe just before I went aloft, that the tide had
only then made to the westward.

"It is vat you call ebb," said the French captain.

"Then you see, monsieur, that there is no use throwing us overboard just
now, because we should drift away to the westward, and your late vessel
and crew must be somewhere to the eastward," said I, as boldly as I
could, though I had no little difficulty in getting out the words.

"Ah! you von Jack-a-napes, you von poule--littel fighting coc, I see,"
he remarked in an altered tone. "Vell, you stay aboard; you sweep my
cabin; you like dat better dan drown."

"Certainly, monsieur, very much better," said I, considerably relieved;
"I shall be very happy to serve you in any way I can, consistent with my
honour, and perhaps you'll let this boy here help me?"

"Bah, no!" answered the captain, giving a contemptuous glance at poor
Toby. "He only fit to sweep out de fore hold."

I saw that it would not be wise to say anything more, so I held my
tongue.

The captain said a few words to the men, and while one led poor Toby
forward, another conducted me towards the companion-hatch. Toby turned
an imploring look at me, and struggled violently.

"Oh, Muster Merry! Muster Merry, they be a-going to cut our throats and
heave us overboard. I know they bees; but don't let them do it till I
comes to be with ee," he cried out. "Don't ee, now, Muster; don't ee."

Poor Toby, finding that he could not get loose, began kicking and
struggling, and shouting at the top of his voice. This seemed to afford
infinite amusement to the Frenchmen, who imitated him; but, in s