there for the captain to come on board.

"I have no doubt he is in a towering rage at our appearance," Captain
Wilson said to the first lieutenant; "but I fancy he will change his
tone pretty quickly when he learns what we have got on board. His
share of the prize money will come to a pretty penny."

The next morning a number of lighters came alongside the ships, and
the work of discharging the cargo commenced. After breakfast Ralph and
Jacques were rowed ashore.

"You will want some money to pay for your passage, young gentleman."
Captain Wilson said to Ralph before leaving the ship. "I will
authorize you to tell an agent that I will be security for the payment
of your passage-money."

"I am very much obliged to you, sir," Ralph replied; "but I shall work
my way home if I can. I have learned to be pretty handy on board the
privateer, and I would as lief be working forward as dawdling about
aft all the way home. Beside, I don't want to inconvenience my mother
by her being called upon suddenly to pay thirty or forty pounds
directly I get home. I have caused her trouble enough as it is."

"That's, right, my lad," the captain said. "I like your spirit. Have
you money enough to pay for your hotel expenses while you are waiting
for a ship?"

"Yes, thank you, sir. The French captain said I had fairly earned
wages, and gave me ten napoleons when he started."

"He must have been a good sort of fellow," the captain said; "though I
wish we had caught him for all that. Well, good-by, and a pleasant
voyage home."

Ralph put up at a quiet boarding-house, kept by a Mulatto woman. He
and Jacques got a fresh rig-out of clothes at once, and went down to
the port to inquire about ships. Ralph was greatly amused at the
aspect of the streets crowded with chattering negroes and negresses,
in gaudy colors. The outlay of a few pence purchased an almost
unlimited supply of fruit, and Ralph and his companion sat down on a
log of wood by the wharves and enjoyed a feast of pine apples,
bananas, and custard apples. Then they set about their work. In an
hour both were suited. Jacques Clery shipped as a foremast hand on
board an American trading schooner, which was about to return to New
York; while Ralph obtained a berth before the mast in a fine bark that
would sail for England in a few days.

Next morning they said good-by to each other, for Jacques had to go on
board after breakfast. They made many promises to see each other again
wh