nd Henderson, a
quartermaster, and informing them of the Captain's arrangement, desired
them to pick out the best ten men they could lay hands upon, arm them,
and get them into the cutter with their bags and hammocks, and then make
their own preparations,--by which time Gascoigne and I would be ready,--
then I bundled below, found Gascoigne, and set to work to get my own
chest and bedding ready.

Ten minutes later the boat was lowered and at the lee gangway; and in
another ten minutes we were aboard the prize.

We were received at the brigantine's gangway by a most ruffianly-looking
individual, with his left arm in a sling, and his otherwise bare head
bound up in bandages through which the blood was even then oozing. As
he proffered his sheathed sword he introduced himself as Monsieur Jules
Despard, chief mate of the French privateer brigantine _Audacieuse_, of
Dunquerque, mounting sixteen long 18-pounders, and a long 32-pounder on
her forecastle, and originally carrying a crew of one hundred and
fifty-six men, of whom twenty-five were away in the Indiaman that had
vanished in the southern board, while twelve more were aboard one of the
vessels of which the gun-brigs were in chase. "Of the remainder,
monsieur," he said, "there are but fourteen, beside myself, who are fit
for duty. The others, including Captain Le Mesurier, have either been
killed outright or severely wounded in the murder-trap which that
dastardly transport of yours set for us. It was a base, cowardly act of
theirs to permit us to approach them within biscuit-toss, and then shoot
us down like--"

"Do you think it was more cowardly than for so heavily armed and manned
a vessel as this to range up alongside of and attack a perfectly
defenceless craft like the Indiaman which you surprised in the darkness,
monsieur?" demanded I. "But," I continued, "I have no time to argue the
point just now. Henderson,"--to the quartermaster--"just jump below and
see if you can find a spot where the prisoners may be safely confined."

"Ay, ay, sir," answered Henderson, touching his hat, as he turned away
to inspect the forecastle. Our friend, Monsieur Jules Despard, appeared
to understand English quite well, for as soon as Henderson had vanished
he said:

"I presume, monsieur, you have full authority from your captain to
accept the parole of such of us as are willing to give it? For myself,
I--"

"No, monsieur," I answered, "I have received no such authority