off, and in a tone of deep melancholy, exclaim, "Ah, but those are
dreams--all dreams--never to be realised. I am never to see bonnie
Scotland again; her heathery hills, and blue, blue lochs, and my own
Mary; but I've never told you of her. She's been the pole-star to me
since I came to sea. She was but a young girl then, but when I had
returned from my first voyage, she'd grown into the fairest maiden for
many a mile round, and soon she promised to be mine, when I should get
my promotion. I won't talk more of her, though; but you'll undertake,
Merry, when you go home, should I lose the number of my mess, to go and
find out the poor girl, and tell her all about me." And so he ran on.
Of course I promised to do all he wished. Midshipmen always do promise
each other all sorts of things of a similar nature, and intend to fulfil
their promises faithfully, though I am not prepared to assert that they
always do so.

By the bye, it is rather curious that at least half my messmates who
confided their attachments to me were in love with young ladies of the
name of Mary. Sometimes, I suspect, they were myths, but they did
equally well to talk about. To a sailor's ear there is something very
attractive in the name; certainly I have known several most charming
Maries, and one especially--but I am not going to make confessions.

The Pearl sailed well, and kept easily in company with us. After
getting clear of Jamaica we stood to the eastward, to run down among the
French islands, where we might have a chance of falling in with some of
the privateers starting on their cruise. We had before long done a good
deal of mischief among them; we captured three, sunk one, burnt another,
and drove two on shore. At last, one morning at daybreak, a large
schooner was reported in sight, standing to the southward. Both we and
the corvette made all sail in chase. There was no doubt that she was an
enemy, as she spread all the canvas she could set for the purpose of
escaping. The wind was light, which was to her advantage, and from the
first it seemed very doubtful that we should overtake the chase. Still,
while there was a chance, Captain Collyer was not the man to give it up.
The wind was about abeam. The corvette was ordered to keep well to
windward, to prevent the schooner from hauling up, and thus escaping;
while there was no doubt that, should she attempt to escape before the
wind, fast as she might sail we should come up with