just so certain as this Rule--Raw-owl, what the d--- l do you call the
pirate, Griffin?"

"Raoul, Captain Cuffe; Raoul Yvard is his name. 'Tis thoroughly French.
Raoul means Rodolph."

"Well, I told Nelson if this lad should get to dodging round one of the
islands we might as well set about playing 'puss in the corner' by the
week as to think of driving him off the land for a fair chase. He works
his boat like a stagecoach turning into an inn-yard!"

"I wonder my lord did not think of this and give us a sloop or two to
help us."

"Catch Nel. at that!--He might send one Englishman to look after two
Frenchmen; but he'd never dream of sending two Englishmen to look after
one Frenchman."

"But this is not a fighting matter, sir; only a chase--and one Frenchman
will run faster than two Englishmen any day of the week."

"_Sa-c-r-r-r-e,"_ muttered Raoul, in a tone that he endeavored to
suppress, and which was inaudible to all ears but those of Andrea
Barrofaldi; the vice-governatore happening to stand nearer his person
just at that moment than any other of the party.

"Very true," answered Cuffe; "but so it is. We are sent alone; and if
this Few-Folly get in between Ischia and Procida, it will be easier to
unearth the fox than to drive her out single-handed. As for any more
boat service against her, I suppose you've all had enough of _that?_"

"Why, sir, I rather think the people would be shy," answered Griffin,
with a little hesitation of manner, and yet with the directness and
simplicity of a truly brave man. "We must let them get over the last
brush before they are depended on much for any new set-to of that sort."

"_Bon!_" muttered Raoul, quite unconscious he was overheard.

"Nevertheless, we must catch this fellow if we wear out our shoes in the
chase."

All this time Andrea Barrofaldi and Vito Viti were profoundly ignorant
of what was passing between the two officers, though Raoul listened
eagerly and so well understood every syllable they uttered. Until this
moment the vice governatore had been rather indifferent and inattentive
as to what occurred; but the two exclamations of Raoul awakened a vague
distrust in his mind, which, while it had no direct object, was
certainly pregnant with serious consequences to the Frenchman himself.
Deep mortification at the manner in which they had been duped by this
celebrated privateersman, with a desire to absent themselves from the
island until the edge was a little t