t Marble ever intended to serve under the
British flag, I had not supposed for a moment; but I was not sure that
regret for the blunder he had already made, might not lead him into some
new mistake of equally serious import, under the impression that he was
correcting the evil. As for Neb, I knew he would never desert me; and I
had not, from the first, felt any other concern on his account, than an
apprehension his ignorance might be imposed on.

The day we anchored in Plymouth sound, was thick and drizzling, with a
fresh breeze at south-west. The ship came-to just at sunset, her prize
bringing up a short distance in-shore of her, as I could see from the
port, that formed a sort of window to my little canvass state-room. Just
as the ship was secured, Lord Harry Dermond passed into his cabin,
accompanied by his first-lieutenant, and I overheard him say to
the latter--

"By the way, Mr. Powlett, this prisoner must be removed to some other
place in the morning. Now we are so near the land, it is not quite safe to
trust him at a port."

I was still musing on the purport of this remark, when I heard the noise
of a boat coming alongside. Putting my head out of the port, I could just
see that the prize, master of the French ship had come on board, and that
Marble and Neb were two of the four men who pulled the oars. Marble saw
me, and gave a sign of recognition, though it was so dark as to render it
difficult to distinguish objects at a trifling distance. This sign I
returned in a significant manner. It was this answering signal from me,
that induced my mate not to quit the boat, and to keep Neb with him. The
other two men were so accustomed to do duty with the Americans, that they
did not scruple to run up the frigate's side, after their officer, eager
to get a gossip with their old mess-mates on the berth-deck. Almost at the
same instant the officer of the deck called out--

"Drop _la Manerve's_ boat astern, out of the way of the captain's gig,
which will be hauling up in a minute."

This was on the larboard side, it is true; but a smart sea slapping
against the starboard. Lord Harry was willing to dispense with ceremony,
in order to escape a wet jacket. I cannot tell the process of reasoning
that induced me to take the step I did; it was, however, principally owing
to the remark I had so lately heard, and which brought all the danger of
my position vividly to my mind. Whatever may have been the moving cause, I
acted as