like Frenchmen! thought I; nor am I certain whether I
deemed the disparity to their credit!

'Give him a glass of water!' I heard the officer say, as he leaned over
the litter; and the crowd at once opened to permit some one to fetch
it. Before I believed it were possible to have procured it, a tumbler of
water was passed from hand to hand till it reached mine, and, stepping
forwards, I bent down to give it to the sick man. The end of a coarse
sheet was thrown over his face, and as it was removed I almost fell over
him, for it was Santron. His face was covered with a cold sweat, which
lay in great drops all over it, and his lips were slightly frothed. As
he looked up I could see that he was just rallying from a fainting-fit,
and could mark in the change that came over his glassy eye that he had
recognised me. He made a faint effort at a smile, and, in a voice barely
a whisper, said, 'I knew thou'd not leave me, Maurice.'

'You are his countryman?' said the officer, addressing me in French.

'Yes, sir,' was my reply.

'You are both Canadians, then?'

'Frenchmen, sir, and officers in the service. We only landed from an
American ship yesterday, and were trying to make our way to France.'

'I'm sorry for you,' said he compassionately; 'nor do I know how to help
you. Come on board the tender, however, and we'll see if they'll not
give you a passage with your friend to the Nore. I'll speak to my
commanding officer for you.'

This scene all passed in a very few minutes, and before I well knew how
or why, I found myself on board of a ship's longboat, sweeping along
over the Mersey, with Santron's head in my lap, and his cold, clammy
fingers grasped in mine. He was either unaware of my presence or too
weak to recognise me, for he gave no sign of knowing me; and during our
brief passage down the river, and when lifted up the ship's side, seemed
totally insensible to everything.

The scene of uproar, noise, and confusion on board the _Athol_ is
far beyond my ability to convey. A shipwreck, a fire, and mutiny, all
combined, could scarcely have collected greater elements of discord. Two
large detachments of marines, many of whom, fresh from furlough, were
too drunk for duty, and were either lying asleep along the deck, or
riotously interfering with everybody; a company of Sappers _en route_
to Woolwich, who would obey none but their own officer, and he was still
ashore; detachments of able-bodied seamen from the _Jupiter_, f