ght on board, and presenting them at the
wherry, snapped the locks. Fortunately they were not loaded, or the
priming had fallen out, and the villains were saved from the
perpetration of further crimes.

The men in the water swam towards the wherry, and I judged from her
movements that those in her were engaged in picking them up. I sang out
and struggled in vain; but the Frenchman held me fast, and finally, to
save himself further trouble, lifted me up by the collar and shoved me
down the companion-hatch into the cabin, closing the slide over me.
There was I, like a mouse caught in a trap. At first I burst into a fit
of tears, more from rage and indignation at being outwitted and
surprised by the Frenchman than from the prospect in store for me, which
was not, however, very pleasant. I might expect to be kept a prisoner
in some out-of-the-way place in France, or perhaps, to be shipped to the
other side of the globe and to be unable to return home for years to
come. I made ineffectual attempts to get on deck to see what had become
of Hanks and our men; but as I could not move the slide, I was obliged
to sit down quietly in the cabin. My melting mood was soon over.
"Better now," thought I to myself. "I won't let these big blackguards
of Frenchmen see me down-hearted, any how. For the honour of old
Ireland and the name of D'Arcy, I'll put a bold face on the matter," and
I began to sing.

There was a row on deck, and a great deal of jabbering; and the little
vessel heeled over to the breeze; but I had no means of discovering what
was taking place, nor where we were going.

The only light let into the vessel was through a bulls-eye in the deck,
so that at first I thought I was shut up in darkness. As, however, my
sight got accustomed to the glimmer, I discovered a fiddle and bow hung
up against the bulkhead.

"Come," thought I, "I'll show the froggies that, though they may shut me
up, they can't damp my spirits in a hurry," and seizing the instrument,
I struck up an Irish jig. It was the most jolly tune I could recollect,
and seldom failed to move the heels of all who heard it. I played away
for some time without any notice being taken of my music; then I heard
one fellow begin to shuffle away overhead, and then another, and
presently it appeared as if the whole crew were toeing and heeling it in
fine style. Then there were loud fits of laughter; and afterwards the
slide was withdrawn and the skipper descende