ntern, which he held so as to
throw a light on our faces, and at the same time a midshipman ran up.

"Who have we here?" he exclaimed, and I recognised Chaffey's voice.
"What! Paddy Finn, my boy, where in the world have you come from?"

"From a brig--a prize to the French," I answered. "But I say, Chaffey,
I want to see the captain at once. If there comes a breeze she'll be
slipping out of the harbour, and we must be ready to go after her."

"Why, we thought you were on board the _Soleil_, and expected she would
be put into commission, and be sent out to rejoin us, as we want small
craft to watch the movements of the French."

I briefly told him what had happened. He in return told me what I was
sorry to hear, that nothing had been heard of the _Soleil_, though the
idea was that she had got safely into Port Royal harbour.

"The captain doesn't like to be roused up; but I suppose as your
information is of importance, he won't give me a wigging for disturbing
him," he said, as we reached the cabin door. Mentioning his object, the
sentry stationed there allowed him to pass, and I stood for a time
outside, trying to squeeze the water out of my nether garments. I had
formed a little pool round my feet by the time Chaffey returned.

"You're to go into the captain, Paddy," he said. "He fired off his
great guns and small arms at me, so he'll receive you pleasantly, I
hope."

Giving a final wring to my coat tails, I made my way to the after cabin.
The captain, with night-cap on head, had just got into his breeches.

"Glad to see you safe on board, Finnahan," he said. "Now give me the
information you have brought. I'll hear about your adventures
afterwards."

"I have just escaped from a brig, sir, that is carrying despatches to
the French admiral at Guadaloupe, and as she may at any moment slip out
of the harbour, I thought you would like to know of it, that you may
follow and capture her as soon as she gets to a sufficient distance from
this place."

"How do you know she has despatches?" he asked.

"I heard the French officer who came on board tell the lieutenant in
command of the brig what they were, and I saw them in the drawer of the
cabin table. I supposed that the lieutenant put them there that they
might be handy to throw overboard, should he find at any time that the
brig was likely to be recaptured."

"Then why didn't you bring them away with you?" asked the captain. "You
made your own escape--yo