o London. She was in good repair, and well found, and
with the fresh hands taken on board, well manned. We had no reason to
dread gales of wind or disasters of any sort. The wind came fair, and
we had a fine run till we were not far off the chops of the Channel,
when it fell a dead calm. There we lay for a couple of days, well-nigh
rolling our masts out, when a light breeze sprung up from the eastward.
Though it was against us, anything was better than a calm. Oh, how I
longed to be at home! Again almost in sight of England, I could not
help every moment conjuring up pictures of the scenes that home might
present. Sometimes they were bright and happy, but then they would
become so sad and painful that I grew sick at heart by their
contemplation. "At all events," I said to myself, "all my doubts will
soon be at an end. I shall know what has occurred."

Such thoughts were passing through my mind, when the look-out from the
masthead reported several sail in sight, coming down before the wind.
The report caused considerable excitement on board. They might be
friends, but they might be enemies; and if so, there was too great a
probability of our finding ourselves entering a French port as
prisoners, instead of returning home as we had expected. Our captain
resolved to stand on close-hauled, till he could ascertain whether they
looked suspicious, and if so, to keep away to the northward. As they
drew nearer, we did not doubt from the breadth of canvas they showed
that they were men-of-war. In a short time we got near enough to them
to exchange signals, when we made out that they were British ships. The
headmost one, a frigate, signalled to us to heave-to, an order our
captain very unwillingly obeyed.

"Perhaps she only wants to send some message home, but I doubt it.
Lads, look out for yourselves," said he.

I knew too well to what his remark referred. We, as ordered, hove to,
and a lieutenant and midshipman with a boat's crew strongly armed came
aboard us.

"Turn the hands up, captain," said the lieutenant briskly. The order
was obeyed, and we all had to appear on deck. "You are strongly manned,
captain," observed the officer, running his eye over us. "You can
easily manage to get into port with half the number of hands you now
have."

"Could not work my ship without all the hands I have," answered the
captain gruffly.

"There is nothing like trying," observed the lieutenant. "Let me see
your paper