ack, we in return boarding them.
Tom and I led our men into the fore part of the vessel. More and more
of our fellows followed. The Frenchmen gave way, some leaped below,
others ran aft, where they encountered Nettleship and his party; in less
than five minutes the privateer was ours, and Larry, shouting--

"Wallop-a-hoo-aboo! Erin go bragh!" hauled down her colours.

The enemy had so completely been taken by surprise, that they had
offered but a slight resistance, and few, therefore, had lost their
lives, while we had only half a dozen wounded. Captain Drury, with
two-thirds of our men, went on board the prize, retaining the larger
number of our prisoners; while Nettleship, Tom, and I remained in the
_Jane_, with orders to follow close astern.

"We must take care, Paddy, that our prisoners don't play us the same
trick yours played you," said Nettleship. "They would like to try it,
no doubt."

We had thirty prisoners to look after.

"I'll take remarkably good care that they don't do that," I answered;
"and to make sure, it would be as well to keep them in durance vile till
we reach Halifax."

The Frenchmen grumbled at finding that they were to have their arms
lashed behind them, and be kept below under charge of a couple of
sentries. They were somewhat more contented when we fed them carefully,
and told them that it was because we considered them brave fellows, and
felt sure that if they had the opportunity they would take the brig from
us, that we were obliged to treat them so unceremoniously. Fortunately
the wind held fair, and we had a quick passage to Halifax, where we
arrived before the harbour was frozen up. Of course we gained great
credit for our last exploit at that favourite naval station.

We found the _Maidstone_ frigate just about to sail for England, on
board of which all who were well enough were ordered home. We were
pretty considerably crowded, but we were a merry set, and had plenty to
talk about. The midshipmen of the _Maidstone_, which had been for some
time at Halifax, spoke warmly of the kindness they had received, and of
the fascinations of the young ladies of the place, except an old mate
and an assistant-surgeon, who declared that they had been abominably
treated, and jilted by half-a-dozen whose hearts they thought they had
won.

Old Grumpus, the master's mate, was especially bitter. "Look here," he
said, producing a sketch which he had made. "See these old ladies
seated o