me real stuff or other; I'm
not fond of your pink vinegars," exclaimed Hanks, as he tossed off a
tumbler of the claret. "This isn't bad for washing the dust out of a
fellow's throat on a hot day, but there's no life-blood in it."

The skipper, with a twinkle of his eyes which betokened mischief, though
unfortunately Hanks did not perceive it, produced a large square bottle,
thick at the top, from which he poured out a glass of first-rate
Scheidam. Hanks smacked his lips as he tasted it.

"Take care, Neil, my child," said he, "you don't swallow much of that
stuff; it's too good. I'll just smack at another glass, and then we'll
go on deck out of the way of temptation."

The Frenchman looked mightily disappointed when he saw that Hanks was
not so easily taken in as he doubtless expected he would be. I happened
to look round as we left the cabin, and saw him shrugging his shoulders
and making hideous grimaces, and no very complimentary gestures at us.
Before this little incident I had thought him the pink of politeness.
He wore love-locks and rings in his ears, and was dressed with the most
accurate French nautical precision; in fact he looked thoroughly unlike
an English seaman. In his manners he was a very mild man, and certainly
he had nothing of the ruffian about him. I cannot say as much for his
crew, some of whom were very ill-looking dogs. It would have been wiser
in Hanks to have handcuffed them all, including the skipper and cook
(though we should thereby have gone without a good dinner), and
stationed a sentry with a loaded musket over them, with orders to shoot
the first who should attempt to escape.

The French skipper, when he found that his plan to obfuscate the brains
of the knowing old Hanks had totally failed, went and sat himself down
forward among his people, apparently in a fit of the sulks.

Hanks, who was in high spirits at the success of our enterprise, walked
the deck with me, looking out for the high land of the Isle of Wight
above the Needle rocks, which we were approaching. The breeze had
increased and kicked up a little sea, and we were running fast through
the water.

"D'Arcy, my boy, this is a fine haul, isn't it?" exclaimed my superior,
rubbing his hands. "Credit and prize-money together. Both good things.
When I was a youngster I thought something about the first; but now, do
you see, Mrs Hanks and I have a fancy for t'other. It keeps the pot
boiling, do ye see? I should thi