and calms; and, when this
letter was written, had not made good half the distance. Heaven grant
that the _Ariadne_ may have escaped any squall such as crippled us."

"Indeed, sir, I trust so," I replied; but as he again turned to his
letter, I made no further remark. I found a letter also for myself, to
my no little surprise, for I thought no one would take the trouble of
writing to me. I did not deserve a letter, I felt, for I had not
written a line to any one since I left England. It was from my uncle.
I put it in my pocket, to read at my leisure when I returned on board.
It ran as follows:--

"My Dear Nephew,--As a word or two now and then from those who are
deeply interested in your welfare, will but tend to keep them in your
remembrance, and to cheer your spirits, should you find yourself
surrounded by troubles or hardships, your aunt and I hope occasionally
to send you a sheet of paper, with an account of what is going on at
home; and I must beg you in return to let us know how the world speeds
with you. Your aunt and cousins are well, and one day passes with them
so like another, that I have little to tell of them. Terence grows
apace, and seems resolved to go to sea. I will not baulk the lad of his
wish when he is big enough; and I hope better times will come in the
navy, both for you and him, than I have seen for some time past. I have
given the cutter plenty of work, and have made several captures; but the
prize I most covet, that villain Myers, has again slipped through my
fingers. I must tell you all about it. It is supposed, indeed, that he
has at length gone to render up his final account in another world; but
even now I can scarcely believe but that he will yet turn up somewhere
or another in this. I had received notice that he had been again seen
in England, and that he had got command of a cutter of about sixty
tons,--a very fast craft, which nothing could come up to; so, of course,
I resolved to try and catch him. I soon found that he was visiting his
old haunts. I conclude that he fancied no one would believe he would
have the audacity to go there after all the crimes he had committed, and
that therefore no one would be on the watch for him. He had succeeded
in running two cargoes, and all the goods were got up to London. He had
gone away for a third, and I learned that preparations were made to
receive it in West Bay, not far from Beere. For two days and nights we
had been cruising