. When the inspecting officer came
back, he found only the stirrups and bit and hoofs. The prisoners were
busily occupied cooking their dinners, and had already produced most
delicious fricassees, so that the English officer could not believe that
they were formed out of the animal on whose back he had galloped up to
the prison not an hour before.

"That's pretty well up to one of Mr Johnson's yarns," observed Grey to
me. "I wish the old fellow could understand him; the boatswain would
take the shine out of him I suspect."

"Bah, dat is noting," said the colonel. "I vill tell you many more
curieuse tings. You talk much of de Anglish ladies. Vel, des are
passablement bien; but des all get dronk ven des can. Je sais bien vy
des go upstairs before de gentlehommes!--it is dat des may drink at dere
ease. Ha, ha, dat is vot des do; you drink downstairs, des drink
upstairs."

"Come, come, Monsieur colonel," exclaimed Duncan McAllister, starting up
and striking his fist on the table. "Ye may tell what crammers ye like
and welcome, but if ye dare to utter your falsehoods about the ladies of
Scotland and England, matrons or maids, prisoner though you be, I'll
make your two eyes see brighter lightning than has come out of them for
many a day; and if ye want satisfaction, ye shall have as much as ye can
get out of a stout ash stick. Vous comprennez, don't ye?"

The colonel shrugged his shoulders, and wisely said nothing. Though he
did not understand all McAllister's remarks, he saw that he had gone too
far, and that it would be wiser in future, whatever might have been his
belief, not to utter any remarks disparaging to the women of England
among a party of English sailors.

"I dinna think that colonel ever did a bolder thing than brave a litter
of young lions in their den," exclaimed McAllister, who, for some
especial reason, held France and Frenchmen in utter detestation and
abhorrence, though he knew more of their language than most of us.

We did not mind the poor old colonel's stories, for we remembered that
he was a prisoner suffering from sea-sickness, and that he had no other
way of venting his spleen.

At length we reached Port Royal, and our prize under charge of Perigal
arrived at the same time. Colonel Pinchard begged so hard that he might
stay on board while the frigate remained in harbour, that in
consideration of the instruction he was affording the youngsters he was
allowed to do so.

"Ah, I do