I
am come to demand him from you."

"I am the person to whom you allude, monsieur," I said, rising from my
seat and going forward. "You are, however, wrongly informed. I am an
Englishman, but not a spy. I landed, not knowing that this part of the
island was in possession of the French, and had I not been detained I
should have returned to my ship."

"I am not here to dispute the point, monsieur," he said, bowing
politely. "I must perform my duty, and that is to convey you with me to
Cheribon, where my superior officers will investigate the matter. You
have supped, I conclude; we will therefore take advantage of the cool of
the evening, and make good as much of our journey as the waning day will
allow us to perform."

My Dutch friend shrugged his shoulders. There was not much time for
consideration. I saw that I had no resource but to obey, though I must
own that I did so with a very bad grace.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN.

PIRATES.

My host, in spite of his annoyance, did not forget the duties of
hospitality, and warmly pressed our unwelcome visitor to take some
refreshment. The young officer, however, declined, on the plea that the
day was already far spent, and that he had no time to spare. On going
round to the front of the house, I found two led horses under the charge
of a soldier. They were absurdly small for cavalry, and would have been
quickly ridden over by any one of our heavy regiments.

I was about to bid Mynheer Van Deck farewell.

"No, not yet, my friend," he answered. "I purpose accompanying you to
Cheribon, that I may render you any service in my power. I have a
horse, and will follow immediately."

The officer made a sign of impatience, so I mounted one of the steeds,
and Jack sprang on the back of the other, where he sat very much as a
big monkey would have done, fully resolved, it seemed, to enjoy any fun
which might be forthcoming. As the French soldiers treated him kindly,
and spoke in a good-natured tone to him, though he could not understand
what they said, his fears quickly vanished, and he was speedily "hail
fellow well met" with them all.

The officer I found a very gentlemanly young man. He rode up alongside
me after we had proceeded a little way, and seemed eager enough to talk
about La Belle France and Paris; but when I endeavoured to draw any
information from him respecting the proceedings at the west end of the
island, he closed his mouth, or gave only vague answers. F