a bubble, was dancing
upon the sparkling blue tumble at the brig's lee gangway. Then the
first lieutenant and Freddy Pierrepoint appeared at the head of the
side-ladder, the latter descending first and the lieutenant instantly
following, the boat's bow was borne off from the ship's side, the oars
dropped with a clean cut into the water, the men bent their backs as
they gave way, and the dancing craft came bounding over the long surges
towards us.

Meanwhile, on board the _Bangalore_ I had caused the side-ladder to be
shipped and the ropes rove in readiness for the lieutenant's arrival;
and in a few minutes he and Freddy were standing on the Indiaman's broad
deck and greeting me with a hand grip the heartiness of which there was
no mistaking.

I told my story as briefly as possible, and at its conclusion Young
said--

"Well, we must of course let you have a few men; but it will be a few
only that we shall be able to spare, for I am sorry to say that our loss
was terribly heavy in our boat attack upon your friend Mendouca, no less
than eight killed and twenty-three wounded, only four of the latter
having as yet been able to return to duty. You must, however, lay your
case before Captain Stopford--who, by the way, hopes you will take
breakfast with him--and I dare say that when he learns how very
short-handed you are, he will strain a point to spare you a dozen men to
take the ship to Sierra Leone. And now, suppose you introduce us to
your passengers, who, judging from what I have been able to see of them
from here, appear to be a very pleasant lot of people."

Upon this hint I led the way to the poop, where by this time nearly the
entire cuddy party had assembled, and introduced my companions in due
form, and in a few minutes Young and Freddy were each surrounded by a
large patty, Master Freddy's, I noticed, being mainly composed of the
younger members of the gentler sex, who petted and made much of the
juvenile warrior, to that young gentleman's entire content.

In due time I proceeded on board my old ship; and on reaching the deck
was fully repaid for all that I had gone through by the heartiness of
the greeting that I received from my shipmates, one and all of whom
seemed sincerely delighted at finding that I was still in the land of
the living. For, as fate would have it, the _Barracouta_ had fallen in
with the _Felicidad_ with the French schooner _Mouette_ in company as a
prize--the latter vessel having pu