red at being employed, and taking rather a
pleasure at the thoughts of having to entrap some of our countrymen.

"They may grumble a little at first, but they'll be a mighty deal better
off on board ship than digging praties, or sailing in one of those
little craft out there," he said, with a look of contempt at the
merchant vessels.

Mr Saunders took me into his cabin, and made me rig out in a suit of
clothes supplied by the purser. I had to rub my hair about till it was
like a mop; then, with some charcoal and a mixture of some sort, he
daubed my face over in such a way that I didn't know myself when I
looked in his shaving-glass.

"You'll do, Paddy," said Nettleship when he saw me. "We must be giving
a touch or two to Harrigan. He seems a sharp fellow, and will play his
part well, I have no doubt."

In a short time the boats were ready. We went with Mr Saunders and
Nettleship in the pinnace. She was accompanied by the jolly-boat, which
it was intended should convey Larry and me into the neighbourhood of the
town. We were, however, not to go on board her until we reached
Passage. The crew gave way, and as the tide was in our favour we got
along rapidly. I found that the expedition we were engaged in was a
hazardous one, especially for Larry and me; for should the men we were
in search of discover who we were, they might treat us as spies, and
either knock our brains out, or stow us away in some place from which we
should not be likely to make our escape. This, however, rather enhanced
the interest I began to feel in it, and recompensed me for its doubtful
character.

Neither Mr Saunders nor Nettleship looked in the slightest degree like
officers of the Royal Navy. They were dressed in Flushing coats; the
lieutenant in a battered old sou'-wester, with a red woollen comforter
round his throat; Nettleship had on an equally ancient-looking
tarpaulin, and both wore high-boots, long unacquainted with blacking.
They carried stout cudgels in their hands, their hangers and pistols
being concealed under their coats. In about an hour and a half we
reached Passage, when Nettleship and Larry and I got into the
jolly-boat.

"I'm going with you," said Nettleship, "that I may direct you to the
scene of operations, and am to wait for Mr Saunders at the `Fox and
Goose,'--a small public-house, the master of which knows our object and
can be trusted."

Nettleship, as we pulled away, minutely described over and over ag