see several officers in uniform on deck, one of whom
stepped forward and addressed them in very good English: "You are on
board her most Catholic Majesty's brig the _San Fernando_. We will not
ask you how you came into this plight. You shall be taken below, and
all possible care shall be bestowed on you."

Hemming tried in vain to reply to this very kind and polite speech. He
pointed to his mouth and signified that he could not speak. The
necessity for exertion being over, he felt himself completely unnerved.

The officers were conveyed to the captain's cabin, the men to a sick-bay
on deck; and the surgeon, if not very clever, was kind; and what they
chiefly wanted was rest and food. Jack and Terence fell asleep, and
slept twenty-four hours without waking: so they said. Several days
passed, however, before they were able to sit up in their beds. At last
they were able to crawl up on deck. It was wonderful then how soon they
picked up their strength. Hemming took longer to come round. Dick
Needham was about as soon as they were. Two poor fellows died on board,
so that eight only of the prize crew ultimately remained alive. The
brig, they found, had come out nominally in search of pirates, and was
then bound across to Cuba. The captain was a very gentlemanly man; so
were some of the officers, especially the first lieutenant, who spoke
English well. One of the sub-lieutenants, or mates, also spoke a little
English, so they got on capitally. The captain said he would not go
back to Sierra Leone, but would land them at Fernando Po. The brig,
they found, had touched, while they were in bed, at several places along
the coast: and what with light winds and baffling winds her progress was
much delayed.

"I wonder, Paddy, when we shall ever get on shore again," said Jack. "I
should like to get back to the frigate, to let them know that we are not
all lost; for I'm afraid that they will be writing home not to expect to
see us again, and all that sort of thing; and then all our families will
be going into mourning for us."

"I'm afraid mine would find it a hard matter just now to pay for the
said black garments," said Adair. "They were in a bad way as to money
matters when I left home. The famine and the fever killed the people,
and rent did not come in; and to say the truth, I don't know that any of
them will trouble their heads much about me."

"Oh! don't say that, Paddy," exclaimed Jack; "still I don't kn