roceed to the neighbourhood of Philadelphia. You shall go
there in the `Pigot,' and you will have no objection to keep them as
your passengers. Probably the city itself is by this time occupied by
the British forces; but I will give you a letter to General Howe, and
will beg him to afford them a pass through the country occupied by our
troops, and to allow you to escort them till they are placed in safety
among their own people. No; do not thank me. I am glad to afford you
what I have no doubt you will find an interesting occupation, but I also
have great satisfaction in finding an opportunity of treating the ladies
of the opposite party in the way I feel they should be treated."

Never had I heard more satisfactory words. I could scarcely refrain
from rubbing my hands with delight.

"Then am I to sail at once, sir?" I asked.

"Certainly, let there be no delay. You can supply yourself with
provisions and water from the ship, and send the master and crew of the
prize aboard here. I'll have them put on shore. From what you say you
will be glad to be rid of them."

Promising Sir Peter to carry out his instructions to the best of my
power, after seeing the purser about the provisions, and getting as many
extra luxuries as I could out of him, I jumped into my boat and returned
on board the tender. On my way I caught sight of two vessels standing
in towards the roads. I made out one of them to be the Lady Parker, and
the other looked very like a prize she had made. So it proved. Before
I sailed, O'Driscoll came on board me, and explained how he had missed
me. He was as much pleased to see me safe as I was that no harm had
befallen him. In the squall during which the Crab had broken adrift he
had been hove on his beam-ends, and on getting to rights he could
nowhere see me. After some time he caught sight of a craft, which he
took for me, and made sail after her. When morning broke she proved to
be a stranger and on over-hauling her he found that she was a rebel
merchantman, so he took her and brought her into Newport. He declared
that he was very jealous when he heard of what he called my good
fortune.

"Will you change places now?" said he coolly. "You shall have the `Lady
Parker' and all the prizes you are certain to take in her, and let me
run down in charge of the `Pigot' and the ladies."

"You are joking now," said I. "But stay a moment and you shall pay your
respects to my passengers. They made