guns, with
sentries placed over them. It was very evident that, had they chosen to
rise, they might have overpowered the sentries at the cost of a few of
their own lives. Fortunately none of them liked to run the risk of
being shot, and remained quiet.

The wind was light, and the _Thisbe_ and her prize made but slow
progress.

The captain anxiously waited the return of morning.

At early dawn look-outs were sent aloft to ascertain if any vessels were
in sight. They reported three to the south-east, and one to the
westward; but what they were it was impossible at that distance to say,
as their loftier sails could but indistinctly be seen rising above the
horizon.

The _Thisbe_ had already as much sail set as she could carry, but
Lieutenant Sterling was making an effort to get up a maintopmast on
board the prize.

When Jack and Bill met at breakfast, Jack reported that he had been
frequently among the prisoners, but had failed to hear anything which
showed that they had the slightest thoughts of attempting to regain
their liberty.

"What would you know about the matter even if they had been talking
treason?" observed Tom. "I doubt if either of you fellows know much
about French."

"As to that," said Bill, "we managed to talk to Frenchmen, and to
understand what they said to us. That, at least, shows that we do know
something about French; not that I wish to boast, only I think I should
do much better if I could get hold of some French books."

Tom laughed. "Oh! I dare say you are going to become a great scholar,
and to beat us all," he observed, with a sneer. "Jack was even
declaring that you were likely to be placed on the quarter-deck. That
would be a good joke."

"It would be a good reality for me, though I don't think it's what is
very likely to happen," answered Bill, without getting at all angry.

"Nor do I," said Tom, in the same tone as before. "Just fancy a chap
like you turned into an officer. You can jabber a few words of French,
and may have picked up a smattering of navigation on board the
_Foxhound_, though I've a notion you must pretty well have forgotten all
you knew by this time, and you may be fond of books, but all that won't
turn a fellow who has come out of the gutter, as one may say, into a
gentleman, as I suppose those on the quarter-deck call themselves."

"And what do you call them?" exclaimed Jack, not liking to hear such
remarks made to Bill. "I wonder you dare to spe