ng a step forward, seizing the corporal by the collar,
and presenting at his throat the point of the sword.

"Mind my eyes, your honour," cried the corporal, flinching; "I ain't Mr
Leigh."

"Where is he then?" cried the astonished lieutenant.

"Your honour won't cut me down if I speak?" said the corporal.

"No, no," said the lieutenant, lowering the point of his sword; "where
is Mr Leigh?"

"Ain't come aboard, sir."

"Not come aboard? Here, Waters!"

The gunner trotted forward, pulled his forelock and kicked out his right
leg behind.

"Where is Mr Leigh?"

The gunner pulled his forelock again, kicked out his left leg, and as he
bobbed his head, his pigtail went up and came down again flop between
his shoulders as if it were a long knocker.

"I say, where is Mr Leigh? You mutinous scoundrel, why don't you
speak?"

"Honour said you'd cut me down if I did."

"Rubbish! Nonsense! Tell me, where is Mr Leigh?"

"Don't know, your honour."

"Don't know, sir? What do you mean?"

"Please your honour, we'd found tracks, as we thought, of the smugglers'
lugger, and then Mr Leigh lost us. No; I mean, your honour, we lost
him. No, he lost--I say, Tom Tully, my lad, which way weer it?"

Tom Tully grunted, gave his trousers a hitch, and looked at the
lieutenant's sword.

"Well, sir, do you hear?" cried the lieutenant; "how was it?"

"Stow all cuttin's down," grumbled Tom Tully, putting his hand behind so
as to readjust the fall of his pigtail.

"Will--you--speak--out--you--ras-cal?" cried the lieutenant.

"Don't know, your honour," growled Tom Tully; "only as Muster Leigh went
off."

"There, I thought as much!" cried the lieutenant. "Deserted his men,
and gone off."

"Please your honour, I don't think as--"

"Silence!" cried the lieutenant, so fiercely that Billy Waters gave up
the young officer's defence, and shut his teeth together with a loud
snap like that of a trap.

"All hands 'bout ship!" cried the lieutenant. "He'll be coming back
presently, and signalling for a boat to fetch him off, but he shall come
on to Portsmouth and make his report to the admiral."

The great mainsail swung over to the other side, and the breeze
favouring, the squaresail was set as well, and the _Kestrel_, so late
helpless on shore, began to skim over the surface of the water at a
tremendous rate, while the lieutenant, having given his orders as to
which way the cutter's head should be laid, went down to the cabi