ur face," replied I; "am I
mistaken?--no, it must be Mr Chucks!"

"You are right, my dear Mr Simple; it is your old friend, Chucks, the
boatswain, whom you now see."

We shook hands heartily, and then he requested me to sit down. "But,"
said I, "they told me on deck that the frigate was commanded by a Count
Shucksen."

"That is my present rank, my dear Peter," said he; "but as you have no
time to lose, I will explain all. I know I can trust to your honour.
You remember that you left me, as you and I supposed, dying in the
privateer, with the captain's jacket and epaulets on my shoulders. When
the boats came out, and you left the vessel, they boarded and found me.
I was still breathing; and judging of my rank by my coat, they put me
into the boat, and pushed on shore. The privateer sank very shortly
after. I was not expected to live, but in a few days a change took
place, and I was better. They asked me my name, and I gave my own,
which they lengthened into Shucksen, somehow or another I recovered by a
miracle, and am now as well as ever I was in my life. They were not a
little proud of having captured a captain of the British service, as
they supposed, for they never questioned me as to my real rank. After
some weeks, I was sent home to Denmark in a running vessel; but it so
happened that we met with a gale, and were wrecked on the Swedish coast,
close to Carlscrona. The Danes were at that time at war, having joined
the Russians; and they were made prisoners, while I was of course
liberated, and treated with great distinction; but as I could not speak
either French or their own language, I could not get on very well.
However, I had a handsome allowance, and permission to go to England as
soon as I pleased. The Swedes were then at war with the Russians, and
were fitting out their fleet; but, Lord bless them! they didn't know
much about it. At last, they all came to me, and if they did not
understand me entirely, I showed them how to do it with my own hands,
and the fleet began to make a show with their rigging. The admiral who
commanded was very much obliged, and I seemed to come as regularly to my
work as if I were paid for it. At last, the admiral came with an
English interpreter, and asked me whether I was anxious to go back to
England, or would I like to join their service? I saw what they wanted,
and I replied that I would prefer an English frigate to a Swedish one,
and that I would not consent unle