he lugger, he saw
the sea splashed a few hundred yards ahead, and then dip, dip, dip, dip,
the water was thrown up at intervals as the shot ricochetted, making
ducks and drakes right across the bows of the lugger.

"Curse his impudence!" cried the lieutenant, as the men busily sponged
out and began to reload Long Tom; for the lugger paid not the slightest
heed to the summons, but sailed away.

"Give her another--closer this time," cried the lieutenant; and once
more the gun uttered its deep-mouthed roar, and the shot went skipping
along the smooth surface of the sea, this time splashing the water a few
yards only ahead of the lugger.

"I think that will bring him to his senses," cried the lieutenant, using
his glass.

If the lowering of first one and then another sail meant bringing the
lugger to its senses, the lieutenant was right, for first one ruddy
brown spread of canvas sank with its spar into the lugger, and then
another and another, the long low vessel lying passive upon the water,
and in due time the cutter was steered close up, her sails flapped, and
her boat which had been held ready was lowered, and Leigh with three men
jumped in.

"Here, let me go too," exclaimed the lieutenant; "you don't half
understand these fellows' French."

Hilary flushed, for he fancied he was a bit of a French scholar, but he
said nothing; and the lieutenant jumped into the boat. A few strokes
took them to the dingy lugger, at whose side were gathered about a dozen
dirty-looking men and boys, for the most part in scarlet worsted caps,
blue jerseys, and stiff canvas petticoats, sewn between the legs, to
make believe they were trousers.

"Va t'en chien de Francais. Pourquoi de diable n'arretez vous pas?"
shouted the lieutenant to a yellow-looking man with whiskerless face,
and thin gold rings in his ears.

"Hey?"

"I say pourquoi n'arretez vous pas?" roared the lieutenant fiercely.

"I ar'nt a Dutchman. I don't understand. Nichts verstand," shouted the
man through his hollow hands, as if he were hailing some one a mile
away.

"You scoundrel, why didn't you say you could speak English?"

"You never arkst me," growled the man.

"Silence, sir. How dare you address an officer of a king's ship like
that!"

"Then what do you go shooting at me for? King George don't tell you to
go firin' guns at peaceable fisher folk, as me."

"Silence, sir, or I'll put you in irons, and take you on board the
cutter. Why didn't yo