of what was taking place. The sight of her and her misery
recalled me to myself, and reminded me of the many duties I yet had to
perform; so leaning over my father and pressing a kiss upon his
forehead--down which, by the way, the blood was slowly trickling from a
slight cutlass wound--I said:

"Thank you, dear father, for your affectionate greeting. I must not
remain any longer with you, however, for the present, glad as I am to
have so unexpectedly met you; I have many matters yet which _must_ be
attended to; but I will rejoin you without fail the moment I feel myself
at liberty to do so. Meanwhile, have no fear of any further violence; a
strong detachment of my crew is in possession of both vessels, and the
schooner herself is not far distant. I will send some men in to release
your companions from their bonds and to help you all in putting matters
straight once more; and, as I see that several of you have been wounded
in defence of the ship, I will at once despatch a boat--if, indeed, she
be not already gone--for the _Dolphin's_ surgeon."

"Many thanks to you, young gentleman, for your kind offer," exclaimed
one of the occupants of the sofa, "but if you'll kindly draw your knife
across these lashings of mine you need not call your surgeon away from
your own men--who, I'll be bound, stand in greater need of his services
than we do. I am the doctor of this ship, and if I can only get my
hands and legs free I'll soon attend to my share of the patients, and
then help my brother saw-bones to attend to his as well, if, indeed, he
cares to accept my help."

"Thank you, my dear sir," said I, "Mr Sanderson will be only too glad
to avail himself of your services, I know; for I fear our casualties to-
night will prove to be very heavy when we have time to reckon them up.
Allow me."

I at once set to work to cast the worthy medico adrift, my father at the
same time performing a like office for those nearest him; and, having
released the doctor, I then hurried out on deck to see how matters were
progressing.

I encountered the coxswain and several of the gig's crew on the quarter-
deck. They were just about to enter the cabin in search of me to report
that the ship had been searched and all the Frenchmen on board secured
and passed down the side into the brigantine, and to inquire what they
should next do. Looking over the Indiaman's lofty bulwarks down on to
the deck of the brigantine, I saw that there too the priso