hatever happens. She won't hurt where she is, unless it comes
on to blow. Our sands hold fast without nipping, as you know, like a
well-bred sheep-dog, and the White Pig is the toughest of all of them.
She may stay there till the equinox, without much mischief, if the
present light airs continue. But the worst job will be with the
prisoners; they are the plague of all these affairs, and we can't
imitate Boney by poisoning them. On the whole, it had better not have
happened, perhaps. Though you must not tell Honyman that I said so. It
was a very gallant action, very skilful, very beautiful; and I hope he
will get a fine lift for it; and you too, my dear Blyth, for you must
have fought well."

"But, Admiral, surely you would have been grieved if so many of your
tenants, and their boats as well, had been swept away into a French
harbour. What would Springhaven be without its Captain Zebedee?"

"You are right, Blyth; I forgot that for the moment. There would have
been weeping and wailing indeed, even in our own household. But they
could not have kept them long, though the loss of their boats would have
been most terrible. But I cannot make out why the French should have
wanted to catch a few harmless fishing-smacks. Aquila non captat muscas,
as you taught the boys at Stonnington. And two ships despatched upon
a paltry job of that sort! Either Captain Honyman was strangely
misinformed, or there is something in the background, entirely beyond
our knowledge. Pay attention to this matter, and let me know what you
hear of it--as a friend, Blyth, as a friend, I mean. But here we are!
You must want feeding. Mrs. Cloam will take care of you, and find all
that is needful for a warrior's cleanup. I must look at the barometer,
and consider my despatches. Let us have dinner, Mrs. Cloam, in twenty
minutes, if possible. For we stand in real need of it."

Concerning that there could be no doubt. Glory, as all English officers
know, is no durable stay for the stomach. The urgency of mankind
for victuals may roughly be gauged by the length of the jaw. Captain
Stubbard had jaws of tremendous length, and always carried a bag of
captain's biscuits, to which he was obliged to have recourse in the
height of the hottest engagement. Scudamore had short jaws, well set up,
and powerful, without rapacity. But even these, after twelve hours of
fasting, demanded something better than gunpowder. He could not help
thinking that his host was regarding t