ide of the _Albion_, I saw Charles Iffley looking out at
one of the ports. His features bore more strongly than ever the marks
of hatred and anger, and when he saw that I was for a time beyond his
reach, he shook his fist at me with impotent rage.

The mates and some of the French crews were sent on board the _Albion_;
but two or three blacks and several Frenchmen remained on board the
ships to help to navigate them. Still we were all together but very
short-handed.

The other prize was the _Nautile_. She was a very handsome ship, and
soon gave evidence that her sailing qualities were superior to those of
the _Mouche_.

I could scarcely believe my senses when I found myself actually on board
a ship homeward-bound. I might in a few short weeks once more be united
to my wife, instead of being kept away from her as I expected perhaps
for years. The sudden turn of fortune almost overcame me.

As I had had some difficulty in believing in the reality of my misery,
now I felt it scarcely possible to trust in the reality of my happiness.
Too great for me seemed the joy. Yet I never anticipated for a moment
that any evil could possibly be in store for me at the end of my voyage.
I brought what I thought would be the reality clearly before my eyes.
I pictured to myself my wife in our quiet little home, looking out on
the ever-animated waters of the Solent, and the fleets of men-of-war and
Indiamen and large merchantmen of all sorts brought up at Spithead. I
thought of her, anxiously waiting to receive news of me; and then she
rose up to my sight, as I thought she would be when she received notice
that I had once more returned safe in limb and health to my native land.
I had no doubt that I should be able to pay for a substitute, and thus
be free from the risk of being again pressed and sent to sea. All
before me appeared bright and encouraging.

Mr Randolph, the officer sent in charge of the _Mouche_, although still
a midshipman, had seen a good deal of service, and was a brave young
man. He had a difficult duty to perform. The _Mouche_ turned out a
very slow sailer, and was excessively leaky, so that we always had to
keep three or four hands employed at a time at the pumps. Of course we
made the Frenchmen do this work, at which they grumbled not a little;
but we told them that had their ship not been leaky, they would not have
had to pump, and that they had no reason to complain. They did not much
like our argum