name?"

"I am Jean Bart, in the service of the King of France. I am pretty well
known in these seas."

"That indeed you are; a better seaman does not sail out of Dunkerque,"
answered Benbow. "I have often heard of you and your doings, and from
the number of prizes you have taken, I judge that you can afford to let
one go without any loss to your reputation or purse. I tell you frankly
that I am glad of having an opportunity of meeting you."

Captain Bart looked pleased at the compliment paid him.

"Come, my friend," said Captain Benbow, "agree to my proposal. Step on
board; crack a bottle with Captain Coopman and me. Your men shall be
entertained forward, and while the calm lasts you need be in no hurry to
take your departure."

Without further hesitation Captain Bart agreed to the proposal.

"I trust to your honour, Captain Benbow," he said.

"You may rest assured that, as you have given your word to allow the
_Elephant_ to continue her voyage unmolested, you will be able to leave
this ship whenever you desire."

The three Captains were soon seated in the comfortable cabin of the
_Benbow_ frigate. Captain Benbow, having regarded Captain Bart for an
instant, put out his hand, exclaiming, "Why, we served together as lads
for two years or more under Admiral Ruyter--surely I am not mistaken--
and saw a good deal of pretty hard fighting."

"You are perfectly right," answered Captain Bart. "I remained with him
till I was twenty-one and a half years of age, when I returned to my
native town of Dunkerque, not supposing at the time that I should have
to fight against my old friends the Dutch."

"You and I must be about the same age, Captain Bart," observed Benbow,
after they had been comparing notes of certain events which had taken
place.

"I was born in the year 1650," said Bart.

"Very same year that I first saw the light," observed Benbow. "We both
of us have been ploughing the salt water pretty nearly ever since."

"For my part I expect to plough it to the end of my days, as most of my
ancestors have done; for we men of Dunkerque are born seamen, and fond
of the ocean," said Bart.

"And to my belief I am the first of my race that ever went to sea," said
Benbow.

Roger had been an interested listener to the conversation carried on in
English, which Bart spoke remarkably well, as did Captain Coopman.

"Will you tell Captain Bart your adventure with the Moors' heads, sir?"
he said, thinking it wou