re at Cobo."

When my grandfather waved his hand, as they ran out past Castle Cornet, the
last link broke between Sercq and myself for many a day. Before I saw any
of them again--except the distant sight of the Island lying like a great
blue whale nuzzling its young, as we passed up Little Russel next
morning--many things had happened for the changing of many lives. I had
seen much, suffered much, and learned much, and it is of these things I
have to tell you.

We cast off next day, amid the cheers and wavings of a great crowd. Half
Peter Port stood on the walls of the old harbour. Some had friends and
relatives on board, and their shoutings were akin to lusty, veiled prayers
for their safe return. Some had eggs in our basket, and in wishing us good
speed were not without an eye to the future, and maybe were already
counting their possible chickens. We gave them cheer for cheer, and more
again for the St. Sampson people. Then, with all our new swing making a
gallant show, we swept past Grand Braye, and Ancresse, and turned our nose
to the north-west.

We were all in the best of spirits. The _Swallow_ was well found and well
armed, and showed a livelier pair of heels than I had looked for, and that,
in an Ishmaelitish craft, was a consideration and a comfort. She was roomy
too, and would make better times of bad weather, I thought, than would
Torode's beautiful black snake. We were sixty men all told, and every man
of us keen for the business we were on, and with sufficient confidence in
John Ozanne to make a willing crew, though among us there were not lacking
good-humoured jokes anent his well-known easy-going, happy-go-lucky
proclivities. These, however, would make for comfort on board, and for the
rest, he was a good seaman and might be expected to do his utmost to
justify the choice of his fellow-townsmen, and he was said to have a
considerable stake in the matter himself.

We had four mates, all tried Peter Port men, and our only fears were as to
possible lack of the enemy's merchant ships in quantity and quality
sufficient for our requirements. On the second day out, a slight haze on
the sky-line shortening our view, the sound of firing came down to us on
the wind, and John Ozanne promptly turned the _Swallow's_ beak in that
direction.

We edged up closer and closer, and when the haze lifted, came on a hot
little fight in progress between a big ship and a small one, and crowded
the rigging and bulwarks to mak