ions implicitly throughout the expedition. Moreover, the
Intendant was ordered to furnish whatever stores, artillery, etc.,
Captain Salt should find necessary to the success of his design.
If he should require it, the fighting strength of the galleys should
be supplemented by drafts from the regiments stationed in the
citadel, the Rice-bank, and Forts Galliard, Rever and Bon Esperance.

The Commodore read all this and laid the paper down on the table.
The officers around him scanned his face and saw there was no hope of
resistance. Nevertheless, for a moment they looked mutinous.

Their superior officer, however, set the example of graceful
obedience. He stood up and looked the Englishman straight in the
face. Then he spoke with a voice that trembled a little over the
opening words, but after that proceeded smoothly and composedly
enough.

"Monsieur, it is my honour to serve his Majesty without reservation,
even when he chooses to put a slight upon his tried servants.
Unfold your scheme. We will listen and lend you our best
co-operation."

"I thank you, monsieur. Is that all?"

"No, sir; not quite all. You will permit me in addition to remark
that you are a very dirty blackguard, and that if you choose to
resent this criticism, I am your very obedient servant."

"Ah, yes! We will discuss that, if you please, as soon as this
business is over. Meanwhile let me proceed with my remarks."

That same evening Captain Salt assumed the command and within half an
hour it was patent to every slave in the squadron that something
beyond the ordinary was afoot. The new commander began to issue
orders at once. Curiously enough, one of the first of these was
given to the fishing-smack with the green pennant, which had brought
him the Earl of Marlborough's letter five days before and had lain at
anchor ever since in the Basin. It was pretty well known to everyone
in Dunkirk that this little craft plied to and fro in the Jacobite
service and was allowed to pass the forts without challenge.
Indeed, she had a special permit. Therefore nobody wondered when
Captain Salt paid her red-bearded skipper a visit that evening, on
his way to the citadel; nor was the skipper astonished to receive a
letter for the Earl of Marlborough's secret agent at Ostend, and be
bidden to leave the harbour that night.

Yet the red-bearded skipper would have been considerably astonished
had he been able to read the cipher in which this letter