he answered.

"I had a right to make my escape, for I had not given you my word to
remain," I said. "I did not carry off the despatches, nor did I
instigate any one to do so. You'll find that I speak the truth."

"I have, then, to beg your pardon," said Dubois, with French politeness,
though he looked doubtfully at me.

There was little time for conversation, however. Mr Harvey desired the
two French officers to prepare for going on board the frigate. "I
understand that you have some English seamen on board. Where are they?"
he asked.

"Two of them lie there," said Dubois, "and the third, in trying to swim
on shore, was seized by a shark. We are well rid of them, for they were
mutinous rascals."

I looked forward; there, on the deck, lay Dan Hoolan and the other
mutineer. A shot had struck him on the chest, and nearly knocked the
upper part of his body to pieces, while it had cut his companion almost
in two, but I recognised his features, grim and stern, even in death.
One of the French seamen had also been killed, and his countrymen,
without ceremony, hove his body overboard. Mr Harvey ordered our men
to dispose of the mutineers in the same manner, and to wash down the
deck, for the sight was not such as any of us cared to look at longer
than was necessary. Dubois and La Touche, who had gone below to get
their valises, now returning with them, stepped into the boat, and Mr
Harvey left me in charge of the brig. I felt somewhat elated at finding
myself on board the craft of the command of which I had been so suddenly
deprived, and began to hope that I was to retain it. I resolved, at all
events, should any of the Frenchmen be left in her, to be careful that
they didn't again take her out of my hands.

I was sorry that I didn't know rather more about navigation, but I
thought that I could manage, by carrying on, to keep in sight of the
frigate. I was especially thankful that we had not been compelled to
hang Dan Hoolan and the other men, for ruffians as they were, and
outlaws as they had been, I felt for them as countrymen, and should have
been sorry to see them suffer so ignominious a fate. The brig was still
hove-to, and I was pacing the deck with all the dignity of a commanding
officer, when I saw another boat come off from the frigate, full of men.
In a short time, Sinnet stepped up the side.

"I have come to supersede you, Paddy," he said. "The captain doubts
your capabilities as a navigator; be