ooking on with great satisfaction while they discussed them.

"_Buvez, me amis_," said a stout good-natured looking seaman, pouring
out a glass of claret. The boys guessed by his signs clearly enough
what he said, and thanked him by nodding in return. They both felt
considerably better for their repast.

"If it wasn't for the loss of poor old Jefferies, I should not have
minded it at all," said David; "but for him to lose his life, and for us
to find ourselves little better than prisoners on board a Frenchman, is
very trying."

"As you remember, nearly his last words were, `Trust in God,'" remarked
Harry; "so let us go on trusting; he was a good old man, and is gone to
heaven I'm sure, so we ought not to mourn for him much. It would have
broken his heart to find himself on board this vessel."

"I wonder in what direction we are going?" said David.

"I will try and get a look at the compass when we go on deck again, but
we mustn't let the Frenchmen think we care anything about the matter,"
said Harry.

"What a pity it is we can't talk French a little! I wish we could thank
these kind, good-natured fellows, because really I am very grateful for
their kindness to us."

"At all events, we can do it by signs," said Harry, jumping up and
shaking the Frenchman by the hand who had given them the wine.

"Much obliged, monsieur; much obliged for your good dinner; the sausages
were excellent. We don't often taste such claret at sea as you gave
us."

Of course, though the Frenchman did not understand a word Harry had
said, yet he was evidently in the way of becoming a favourite among
them. When invited to return on deck they did not hesitate to do so,
for by keeping forward they were not recognised among the French crew.
In the evening they were again invited to join the mess of the men
below, which, if not quite in accordance with English notions, was not
quite the wretched fare on which Frenchmen are supposed to exist.
Indeed, it must be owned that the provisions were far better cooked and
made into more palatable messes than they would have been on board an
English vessel of the same character. At night they had a berth
allotted to them in a standing bed-place forward, into which they were
too glad to creep. Having thanked the God of mercy who had thus
preserved them, in a prayer which came from the very bottom of their
hearts, and asked for a blessing on all those they had left at home,
they lay down in their