r a moment, she was broadside on to the sea. One wave
broke over her, and nought but her masts appeared above a sheet of
white foam; but, ere the water had well done pouring from her open deck
ports, she was in smooth water, her anchor was down, and the topsail
yard was black with men.

"Let us come down, Sam," said Halbert: "very likely they will send a
boat ashore."

As they were scrambling down the leeward side of the cliff, they saw a
boat put off from the ship, and gained the beach in time to meet a
midshipman coming towards them. He, seeing two well-dressed gentlemen
before him, bowed, and said,--

"Good morning; very rough weather."

"Very, indeed," said Halbert. "Is that the Tartar, pray?"

"That is the Tartar; yes. We were caught in the gale last night, and we
lay-to. This morning, as soon as we recognised the Cape, we determined
to run for this cove, where we have been before. We had an anxious
night last night, I assure you. We have been terribly lucky. If the
wind had veered a few more points to the east, we should have been done
for. We never could have beaten off in such a sea as this."

"Are you going to Sydney?"

"No; we are in chase of a boat full of escaped convicts from
Launceston. Cunning dogs; they would not land in the Straits. We missed
them and got across to Port Phillip, and put Captain D---- and his
black police on the alert; and they have got scent of it, and coasted
up north. We have examined the coast all along, but I am afraid they
have given us the slip; there is such a system of intelligence among
them. However, if they had not landed before last night, they have
saved us all trouble; and if they are ashore we wash our hands of them,
and leave them to the police."

Halbert and Sam looked at one another. Then the former said,--

"Last night, about an hour before it came on to blow, we saw a boat
making for this very headland, which puzzled us exceedingly; and, what
was stranger still, we saw a man on the Cape, who seemed to be on the
look-out."

"That is quite possible," replied the midshipman; "these fellows have a
queer system of communication. The boat you saw must certainly have
been them; and if they landed at all they must have landed here."

* * * * *

I must change the scene here, if you please, my dear reader, and get
you to come with me on board his (I beg pardon, her) Majesty's ship
Tartar for a few minutes, for on the quarter-deck of that noble sloop
there a