t to shirk, and if we are obliged to go in time of war, why, we
are ready to go and do our duty like men; but it do nip a bit at first,
sir, 'specially at a time like this."

"Ay, ay, Joe!" came in chorus.

"You see, sir, mostlings life on board a ship is so much hard work, and
you has a lot of weather of some sort or another to fight agen; but with
the 'ception of that bit of rough time getting into the French port,
this 'ere's been a regular holiday, and--Oh my! There she goes, lads!"
groaned the poor fellow, for the hull of the sloop had been gradually
rising more and more into sight, rapidly at last from the refraction as
she had glided into a hotter stratum of air while nearing the schooner,
and all at once a white puff of smoke had darted out of her bows, to be
followed by a dull heavy thud, when the men turned as with one accord to
gaze at their captain, as if hoping against hope that he would still
hold on instead of giving an order to fat Gregg, the steersman, to throw
the schooner up in the wind.

CHAPTER TWENTY THREE.

SUSPICIOUS VISITORS.

There was a dead silence among the men as the soft white ball of smoke
rose slowly and steadily, expanding the while and changing its shape
till it became utterly diffused. The occupants of the schooner's deck
were statuesque in their rigidity, the crew to a man gazing hard at the
captain as they strained their hearing to catch his next command; the
captain fixed his eyes from one side upon Uncle Paul, while Rodd stood
upon the other with his lips apart, gazing questioningly in his uncle's
half-closed lids, as the doctor leaned back in his deck-chair with a
thoughtful frown upon his brow.

Then he started slightly, for the captain spoke.

"Well, sir," he said, "what's it to be?"

"What's it to be, Captain Chubb? I do not quite understand you."

"It's plain enough, sir. If I throw the schooner up in the wind we
shall have a man-of-war's boat aboard us and some young officer in
command in less than half-an-hour. First thing will be he'll ask for
our papers, and then fall in the lads, run his eye along them, take his
pick, and order the poor fellows down into the boat; and that means
sending us back to port to fill up the best way we can, and perhaps not
do it. On the other hand, I can make believe a bit and still keep
forging on a little till the darkness comes, and then--"

The captain stopped.

"Yes," said the doctor; "and then--"

"Well, sir, it w