incessant fire was kept up on both sides, until a parley
took place. Life and liberty were then guaranteed to the family, as the
terms of capitulation, while the pirates were to have the plunder; and
they swore to these conditions as Frenchmen and men of honor. When the
officer and men entered the dwelling, and, looking anxiously around, saw
only five youths, and four cowherds, they suspected that an ambush had
been laid for them.

'You need not fear anything dishonorable from me,' said the French
preacher; 'you see all our garrison.'

'Impossible!' he replied; 'these children could not possibly have kept
up all the firing.'

The house was then stripped of everything, not excepting the coats,
which had been thrown off in the heat of the action; and the booty
filled six boats. When they departed, M. Fontaine with his two eldest
boys and two servants were taken away as prisoners. In vain did the
brave good man protest that this was an infraction of the treaty. The
remonstrance availed nothing with the freebooters. In a few days, the
children with the servants were set ashore, but he was detained, when
orders were given to raise the anchor. During all these severe trials,
his noble and pious companion did not sit down, quietly lamenting her
misfortunes. She first went to the parish priest, who was under great
obligations to her husband, entreating him for his liberation. But he
positively refused. Perceiving the privateer under sail, she resolved to
follow it along the shore, as long as she could, and, reaching a
promontory, she made a signal with her apron, on the top of a stick. A
boat came near the shore, and she carried on a conversation with its
crew through a speaking trumpet. After much bargaining, they agreed to
set M. Fontaine at liberty, upon the payment of L100 sterling. Of this
sum the excellent lady could only borrow L30, and the captain of the
privateer consented to take this amount, with one of her sons as a
hostage, until the remaining L70 were paid, calling her at the same time
'a second Judith.'

Mrs. Fontaine repaired forthwith to Cork, for the purpose of raising the
sum wanted, and could easily have obtained it, but the merchants of that
city objected to any payment of the kind. The privateer hovered about
the Irish coast for some time, expecting the ransom money; but when the
governor of Brest heard the circumstances, he condemned the captain
strongly for bringing a hostage away with him, contrary