th me, aiming
fierce blows at my uncovered head--I had lost my hat somehow in the
struggle on deck--with the heavy brass-mounted butt of his pistol. In
such an encounter as this I did not feel very much afraid of him, being
tall for my age, and having developed a fair share of muscular strength
since leaving England; but it was as much as I could do to hold him and
at the same time prevent his inflicting some serious injury upon me.
His wound, however, told upon him at last, and I eventually succeeded in
dragging him back to the deck, though not until after he had
ineffectually emptied his pistol at me.

On regaining the deck I found our lads busy securing the prisoners, and
Monsieur Le Breton was soon made as safe as the rest of them.

He was loudly protesting against the indignity of being bound, when
Captain Vernon approached.

"Oh! here you are, Hawkesley!" he exclaimed. "I was looking for you,
and began to fear that you had met with a mishap. Do me the favour to
step below and see if you can discover anything of Mr Austin."

"I have already once been below with that object, sir," I replied; "but,
discovering this man--Le Breton as he calls himself--acting in a very
suspicious manner, I deemed it my duty to see him safe on deck before
proceeding further in my quest."

"What was he doing?" asked the skipper sharply.

"I vill tell you, sare, vat I was doing," interrupted Le Breton
recklessly. "I vas on my vay to ze _soute aux poudres_ to blow you and
all ze people to ze devil to keep company wiz your inqueezatif first
leftenant. And I would have done eet, too, but for zat pestilent
midshipman, who have ze gripe of ze devil himself. _Peste_! you
Eengleesh, you are like ze bouledogue, ven you take hold you not nevare
let go again."

"There, Hawkesley, what do you think of that for a compliment?" laughed
the skipper. "So, monsieur," he resumed, "you were about to blow us up,
eh? Very kind of you, I'm sure. Perhaps you will increase our
obligation to you by informing me what you have done with Mr Austin?"

"Done wiz him!" reiterated Le Breton with a diabolical sneer. "Why, I
have sent him to ze bottom of ze creek, where I would have sent you all
if you had not been too cautious to accept my polite invitation."

"Do I understand you to mean that you have _murdered_ him?" thundered
the skipper.

"Yes," was the reckless answer; "drowned him or murdered him, call it
what you will."

"You treacherous sc