to be Parliamentary ships," I said to
Lancelot.

"We must try and explain who we are, and how we came on board," he
answered.

"But what if they won't believe us?" I asked. "We may be strung up
before they find out the truth."

"That would be a hard case, but I do not see how we are to escape,
unless we jump overboard when the fight begins, and try to swim to one
of them."

Instead of running away, as we expected, the _Charles_ stood boldly
towards the approaching squadron. At length from the peak of the
leading ship we saw the Union Jack flying.

"That must be Prince Rupert's squadron after all," said Lancelot.

That this was the case was soon evident, for the frigate, ranging up
alongside the big ship, exchanged friendly salutes.

An officer in handsome costume, with a gold chain round his neck, was
seen standing on the after-castle. When Captain Blackleach raised his
beaver, the officer took off his in return, and inquired how many prizes
he had made.

"Three since we parted with your highness," was the answer, "and they
are by this time safe in Kinsale harbour."

"You have used diligence; you shall have a bigger ship before long,"
said the officer in the handsome dress.

"Who is he?" I asked one of the men standing by.

"What! have you never seen Prince Rupert, the bravest commander in the
king's armies, and now his best admiral? Wherever he leads, rich prizes
are sure to be found."

Such we discovered was a fact, for that very day the squadron captured
well-nigh a dozen merchantmen homeward bound, which mistook it for the
Earl of Warwick's fleet, and fell without firing a shot into its
voracious jaws.

In high glee the Prince with his prizes stood for Kinsale harbour, where
we found a dozen other goodly ships, which had been captured by his
cruisers, including the three taken by the _Charles_. While we lay
here, Lancelot and I, when no one was by, often talked over various
schemes for escaping, but we had to ask ourselves the question, where
should we go? The whole southern part of Ireland was in favour of the
King, as the Prince of Wales was now called, his father having been put
to death in London. Thus, even should we reach the shore, we should run
a great risk of being knocked on the head when attempting to travel
through the country, for rumours had reached us of the fearful way in
which the Romanists had treated the Protestants residing among them.

Martin to whom we confided our w