count of the
circumstances.

"There's no blame attached to you, Finnahan," he said; "though as far as
I can make out, the French officers didn't behave in an honourable way,
and I hope those mutinous scoundrels will get their deserts before long.
I'm sorry they are our countrymen, but I can show them no favour on
that account. If we take the brig, every one of them will be hanged."

"I rather think, sir, that the French officers will have saved us the
trouble; for when they get on board and find what Hoolan and his mates
have been about, they won't be inclined to treat them leniently."

"I wish that we had left them ashore at Cork," observed the captain.
"We should have been better without such scoundrels. Now, with regard
to these despatches. I don't understand a word of French, nor does the
first lieutenant, nor any other officer in the ship except yourself,
Finnahan; still it may be necessary to act immediately on them. I'll
open them, and you must translate their contents."

I would thankfully have excused myself; for though I could jabber French
pretty glibly, I was very little accustomed to write or translate it.
The captain got out pens and paper from his desk and, telling me to sit
down, opened the packet, and put it into my hands. The hand-writing
greatly puzzled me, for it was not a style to which I was accustomed. I
spelt out the words, however, as well as I could, and tried to get at
the sense. It contained an account of the intended sailing of the
Marquis de Boullie with four thousand troops for the relief of
Guadaloupe, which was at that time being attacked by the English under
General Prescott. There were also various directions for the guidance
of the French forces in those seas; but the most important was a plan
for the concentration of the fleet, carrying a large body of soldiers,
so that they might pounce down on Jamaica while the English squadrons
were being led away in opposite directions. It was some time before I
arrived at the gist of the matter.

"This is important," exclaimed the captain. "You would have rendered
essential service to the country by bringing these on board, and I must
see that Harrigan is rewarded; while the part you have played must not
be forgotten, as, though your sense of honour prevented you from taking
the packet, it is owing to your courage and determination that we have
obtained it. However, we will talk of that by and by. We must look
out, in the meanti