rious,"
answered Paddy. "Let's take a prize."

"A prize! Where is one to be found?" asked Jack, in no way disinclined
to do something.

"Oh! we'll fall in with her before long," replied Paddy. "One of these
Greek chaps. They are all pirates, you know, and would cut our throats
if they dared."

Paddy was jumping rather too fast at conclusions; but Jack, who also
thought it would be a very fine thing to take a prize, although some
doubts crossed his mind as to the propriety of so doing, did not attempt
to dissuade him from his intentions. It never occurred to the young
aspirants for naval renown that they should have made the men get out
their oars and pull, as there was a perfect calm. The boat floated
quietly on all night. Soon after daylight they espied a long, low,
lateen-rigged craft stealing along close in with the land--her white
canvas dimly seen through the morning mist.

"That shall be our prize," exclaimed Paddy, standing up in the
stern-sheets; whereon he made the crew a speech, and talked a great deal
about honour, glory, and renown, and treading in the steps of the old
heroes of Great Britain, and prize-money, and several other themes. The
last-mentioned his auditors understood somewhat better than the first.
It was all the same to them whether England was at war or not with the
nation to which the craft in view belonged. Their officers must know
all about the matter, so there was no dissentient voice; and now,
getting out their oars fast enough, they pulled away with a hearty cheer
towards the craft in sight. The vessel was undoubtedly a Greek. Her
crew probably could not conceive why they were chased. The wind was too
light to enable them to make much way with their sails; and though they
had oars, they were unable to urge on their craft fast enough to escape
the English boat. From the gestures of their pursuers the Greeks saw
that they were about to be attacked, and as the cutter ran alongside
they attempted to defend themselves; but although the seamen had only
the boat's stretchers, and Paddy and Jack alone had pistols, which
fortunately would not go off, the Greeks very speedily gave way and
tumbled down below.

"What are we to do now?" asked Jack, who, having joined the ship later,
was under Adair's command.

"Carry our prize in triumph into Corfu," answered Paddy, taking a turn
with a dignified air on the deck. "I should like, to see what that prig
Spry will say to us now."

A