dark by a French privateer. I was hauled
on board, and as she was bound for the West Indies I had to make the
voyage whether I liked it or not."

"How long ago is it that you were run down?"

"About five months," Ralph replied.

"Why, you are not the son of Mrs. Conway of Dover, are you?"

"Yes, I am, sir. Do you know her, and can you tell me how she is?"
Ralph asked eagerly.

"I believe that she is well, although of course she must have suffered
very greatly at your disappearance. I haven't the pleasure of knowing
her personally, but several friends of mine are acquainted with her. I
heard the matter talked about at the time the boat was missing. Some
portions of her were picked up by other fishing boats, and by the
shattered state of some of the planks they said that she had been run
down; beside, there had been no wind about the time she disappeared,
so that there was little doubt some vessel or other had cut her down.
I happened to hear of it from Colonel Bryant, who is a friend of your
mother."

"Yes, I know him," Ralph put in.

"I have heard Colonel Bryant say that she has not altogether abandoned
hope, and still clings to the idea that you may have been run down by
some outward-bound ship and that you had been saved and carried away,
and that she declares that she shall not give up all hope until ample
time has elapsed for a ship to make the voyage to India and return."

"I am very glad of that," Ralph said. "It has been a great trouble to
me that she would be thinking all this time that I was dead. I should
not have minded having been carried away so much if I had had a chance
of writing to her to tell her about it; but I never did have a chance,
for I came home by the very first ship that left Port Royal after I
arrived there."

"But how did you get away from the French privateer--was she
captured?"

"Well, it is rather a long story, sir," Ralph said modestly.

"All the better," the gentleman replied. "We have got fourteen hours
journey before us, and your story will help pass the time; so don't
try to cut it short, but let me have it in full." Ralph thereupon told
the story, which lasted until the coach reached Tunbridge, where it
stopped for the passengers to dine.

"Well, that is an adventure worth going through," the officer, who had
already mentioned that his name was Major Barlow, said; "and it was
well for you, lad, that you possessed good spirits and courage. A man
who is cheerful and w