"

"No, sir," I replied; "and that, in conjunction with the sounds which I
undoubtedly heard just now makes me think that something must be wrong
on board her. Do you not think the matter ought to be reported to
Captain Vernon?"

"Most certainly it ought," he agreed. "Is it possible that the crew
have taken the ship from their officers, think you?"

"I scarcely know _what_ to think," I replied. "Let us speak to the
captain at once, and hear what he has to say about it."

Thereupon the third lieutenant directed Keene, one of the midshipmen, to
take temporary charge of the deck; and we at once dived below.

"Well, Mr Armitage, what is it?" asked Captain Vernon, as we presented
ourselves in the cabin and discovered him and Mr Smellie chatting
together over their wine and cigars.

"I must apologise for intruding upon you, sir," said Armitage; "but
Hawkesley here has come to me with a very extraordinary story which I
think you had better hear from his own lips."

"Oh! Well, what is it, Mr --. Why, Hawkesley, where in the world have
you been, and what doing, man? You are positively smothered in tar."

"Yes, sir," I replied, glancing at myself and discovering for the first
time by the brilliant light of the cabin lamp the woeful ruin wrought
upon my uniform. "I really beg your pardon, sir, for presenting myself
in this plight, but the urgent nature of my business must be my excuse."
And I forthwith plunged _in medias res_ and told what I had heard and
seen.

"The noise of a scuffle and the brig adrift!" exclaimed the skipper.
"The crew surely cannot have risen upon their officers and taken the
ship!" the same idea promptly presenting itself to him as had occurred
to the third lieutenant.

"No, sir," said I. "I do not believe that is it at all; the commotion
was not great enough or prolonged enough for that; _all_ the officers
would not be likely to be taken by surprise, but _one man might be_."

"One man! What do you mean? I don't understand you," rapped out the
skipper.

"Well, then, sir, to speak the whole of my mind plainly, I am greatly
afraid that Mr Austin has met with foul play on board that brig, and
that she is not a French man-o'-war at all, as she professes to be," I
exclaimed.

I saw Smellie start; and he was about to speak when:

"Mr Austin! Foul play! Not a French man-o'-war!!" gasped the skipper.
"Why, Good Heavens! the boy is _mad_!"

"If I am, sir, I can only say that I have been