uple of
young swindlers, without a sixpence in your pocket, passing yourselves
off as young men of fortune, and walking off through the window without
paying your bill."

"Do you mean to call me a swindler, sir?" replied Jack.

"Yes, sir, you--"

"Then you lie," exclaimed our hero, in a rage. "I am a gentleman, sir--
I am sorry I cannot pay you the same compliment."

The astonishment and rage of Captain Tartar took away his breath. He
tried to speak, but could not--he gasped and gasped, and then sat or
almost fell down in his chair--at last he recovered himself.

"Matthews--Matthews!"

"Sir," replied the coxswain, who had remained at the door.

"The sergeant of marines."

"Here he is, sir."

The sergeant entered, and raised the back of his hand to his hat.

"Bring your marines in--take charge of these two. Direct you are on
board, put them both legs in irons."

The marines with their bayonets walked in and took possession of our
hero and Gascoigne.

"Perhaps, sir," replied Jack, who was now cool again, "you will permit
us to pay our bill before we go on board. We are no swindlers, and it
is rather a heavy one--or, as you have taken possession of our persons,
you will, perhaps, do us the favour to discharge it yourself;" and Jack
threw on the table a heavy purse of dollars. "I have only to observe,
Captain Tartar, that I wish to be very liberal to the waiters."

"Sergeant, let them pay their bill," said Captain Tartar, in a more
subdued tone--taking his hat and sword, and walking out of the room.

"By heavens, Easy, what have you done?--you will be tried by a
court-martial, and turned out of the service."

"I hope so," replied Jack; "I was a fool to come into it. But he called
me a swindler, and I would give the same answer to-morrow."

"If you are ready, gentlemen," said the sergeant, who had been long
enough with Captain Tartar to be aware that to be punished by him was no
proof of fault having been committed.

"I will go and pack up our things, Easy, while you pay the bill," said
Gascoigne. "Marine, you had better come with me."

In less than half an hour, our hero and his comrade, instead of finding
themselves at the Marquesa's ball, found themselves very comfortably in
irons under the half-deck of H.M. frigate _Aurora_.

We shall leave them, and return to Captain Tartar, who had proceeded to
the ball, to which he had been invited. On his entering he was accosted
by Don Martin and Don