"You are right, friend Tacon," answered the captain. "What is more, you
are the very man for whom I have been long searching; but let me have
your information first, and then I will tell you the reason why I have
been anxious to find you."

"It will take some time," answered the old pirate. "If you like to make
sail, I will order the felucca to stand on in your wake."

"No; but direct her to stand on under our lee," said the captain. "Your
people may be very honest and faithful, but they may take it into their
heads to run away, and leave you with us. It is well to be cautious
with such gentry."

Captain Tacon was profuse in his thanks. "Certainly, rogues like mine
do require to be watched," he remarked. "Ah, as I have always thought,
honesty is the best policy, but somehow or other I never could manage to
adhere to it. But before you make sail I may as well bring some
passengers I have on board here. They are rather unwilling passengers,
I own; I might call them prisoners, for they are Spaniards, enemies to
France--an old man, a marquis and his daughter, and a priest. I took
them out of a vessel bound for Cadiz; and as I did not know how to
dispose of her, after removing every thing of value, I scuttled her."

"But what did you do with her crew?" asked the captain of the frigate.
"Let them go down in her," answered Tacon coolly. "I thought it would
show my other prisoners that I was not a man to be trifled with."

"By all means let them come on board here," said the captain of the
frigate, anxious to get the prisoners out of the power of such a
ruffian. "I will send an officer and a boat to conduct them."

A boat was lowered; one of the lieutenants jumped into it, and soon
returned from the felucca with the persons Tacon had described. They
were helped up the frigate's side, and the old man advanced, with his
daughter leaning on his arm, and followed by the priest, who, though
concealed by those in front, was, by peering out on one side, able to
take a steady survey of the officers on the quarter-deck.

The captain received the marquis and his daughter with great politeness.

"We have already ladies on board, and I hope mademoiselle will have no
cause to complain of her treatment while on board the ship, though our
accommodation is somewhat limited."

Mrs Armytage and Edda signed to the young lady to come to them, and she
advanced at once, glad to find herself in the society of some of her own