eople to come ashore on."

"You bes talkin' of the coast 'round to the south o' Cape Race, sir. We
bes all poor, honest folk hereabouts, sir."

"Oh, aye," returned the other, drily.

By this time all the men were ashore and the boat was high up on the
shingle, out of reach of the surf. The men stood close around it. They
were well-armed, and kept a sharp look-out on all sides.

"What do you call this place?" asked the officer.

"Why, sir, Frenchman's Cove bes its name," replied the skipper.

Frenchman's Cove lies three miles to the south of Nolan's Cove; but the
skipper was cautious.

"Do you live here?"

"No, sir. There bain't no houses here. We bes four poor men from 'way to
the nor'ard, sir, a-huntin' deer on the barrens. We was makin' camp 'way
back inland, sir, when we heared yer guns a-firin'."

"How far away is the nearest village?"

"Why, sir, this country bes strange to me, but I's t'inkin' Nap Harbor
wouldn't be more'n ten mile to the south, fair along the coast. Bes I
right, Pete?"

"Aye, skipper, I be t'inkin' the same. Nap Harbor lays to the south,
maybe ten mile along, maybe less," replied Peter Nolan, a cousin of the
skipper's.

A second boat reached the shore and discharged its freight of humans and
small packages and bundles. This boat contained four sailors and ten
passengers. There were three women among the passengers. All were
clutching bundles of clothing or small bags containing their personal
possessions of value. One of the women was weeping hysterically.

"Could we get a passage 'round to St. John's from Nap Harbor?" asked the
officer.

"Aye, sir, I bes sayin' ye could. Sure there bes a fore-and-after i' Nap
Harbor," said Nolan.

"Will you guide us to Nap Harbor?"

"Aye, sir, that we will, an' glad to be o' sarvice to ye."

"We will pay you well, my good man," said one of the passengers, a tall
gentleman with a very white and frightened face, draped in a very wet
cloak. "In the meantime," he continued, "let us dry ourselves at these
fires and have something hot to drink. Where are those stewards, the
lazy dogs!"

Two more boats came from the ship to the shore without accident. In the
last to arrive were the captain and the doctor. The company gathered
round the fires, keeping their boxes and bags close to them. The
stewards and sailors brewed hot punches for all. The lady with the
hysterics was soothed to quiet by the doctor and a tiny mug of brandy
and boiling water. Th