Two mornings later one of the coast-guard came in. "Captain Downes will
be glad, sir, if you will go on board; there is something particular
that he wants to speak to you about."

Frank at once put on his hat.

"We had a sharp fight with the smugglers last night, your honour," the
sailor said as they started. "We had been cruising about for two days to
the west, and yesterday morning we made out to sea and held east, and at
ten o'clock came into Swanage Bay. We came upon the lugger that has
fooled us so many times, and for once we caught her napping. They were
at work unloading a cargo when we came up, and she did not make us out
until we were within a couple of cables'-length of her, then she slipped
and ran; I expect she would have shown us her heels as usual, but we
gave her a broadside, and that big spar of hers came down with a run,
and we were alongside in no time. They made a tough fight of it, but
pretty nigh half her crew were ashore with the kegs. Howsomever we were
not long in beating them below, though two or three of our chaps were
pretty badly hurt, and three of theirs killed before the scrimmage was
over. We did not trouble about the chaps ashore. I expect they were
accounted for all right, for we heard some pistol shots there, but we
came back here at once with the lugger, and got in two hours ago."

"Are the prisoners all French?" Frank asked eagerly.

"Ay, sir, just as French as can be. I was one of the party as took them
ashore and lodged them in jail; and there was no doubt about their all
being French. They had all got rings in their ears; besides, you could
tell from the cut of their jib that they were Frenchies."

In ten minutes Frank stepped on to the deck of the _Boxer_. Captain
Downes met him there. "I congratulate you, Mr. Wyatt," he said warmly.
"I suppose you have been hearing that we had a sharp tussle with the
smugglers, and at last captured that confounded lugger that has given us
so much trouble for the past two years. Though I am mightily pleased at
that, I am more pleased still that among those on board was that fellow
Markham. He fought like a tiger. I reckon he knew that his neck was in a
noose, for he would, of course, have heard from his friends here that
the matter of Faulkner's murder had been cleared up, and there was a
warrant out against him. Well, he got a pistol shot in his chest, and
after it was all over we found that he was pretty near gone. As soon as
a lantern was