he French navy.

In a few seconds our signal was read; and, in response, up went the
frigate's number, which little Smellie read out as it was going aloft.
"Private signal pennant. Eight, two, seven, four."

"Run up the answering pennant," said I to the signal-man, as I turned up
the number in the signal-book.

"Le Narcisse" was the name corresponding to this number; and I was about
to turn up the navy list, to learn what particulars I could respecting
the craft, when my companion exclaimed, "More bunting. White flag with
blue cross, diagonal. Three, nine, nought, one."

We acknowledged the signal, and, on turning it up, found that it was a
request to "Round-to under my lee: wish to communicate with you."

This brought the signalling to a close; and in about a quarter of an
hour afterwards, we rounded-to on the frigate's lee beam, while that
craft laid her main-topsail to the mast.

As soon as the two craft were within hailing distance a dapper little
figure, dressed in the full uniform of a French naval captain, leaped
into the mizzen-rigging with all the activity of a monkey, and, raising
his hat slightly in salute (which I of course scrupulously returned),
gave a preliminary flourish or two with a speaking-trumpet almost as big
as himself, and then, applying it to his lips squeaked out, in French of
course, in a shrill falsetto which set all our people on the broad
grin,--

"`Vidette ahoy!' Are you the guarda-costa of that name?"

"Ay, ay, monsieur," I briefly replied.

"Oh! very well," said he. "I am Citizen Alphonse Latour, captain of `Le
Narcisse' frigate, in the service of the French Republic. Whither are
you bound?"

"We are cruising to the southward and eastward on the lookout for an
English fleet which is reported to be somewhere hereabouts," I replied,
with a mischievous desire to see what effect the mention of an English
fleet would have upon him.

"An English fleet! _Hereabouts_!! diable!!!" he exclaimed. "I should
like to fall in with them. I hope, however, _they_ will not fall in
with my prize. Ah! Good!! Listen, monsieur, I fell in with and
captured an English merchantman yesterday, with a valuable cargo on
board. You shall oblige me by going on until you fall in with him--he
is only about one hundred miles south-east of us--and you shall escort
him into Toulon; while as for `Le Narcisse'--_parbleu_, she will remain
here in waiting for the accursed English fleet, and fight them