oming alongside, who should jump on the deck
of the brig but Paul Pringle, who, touching his hat, said in a stern
voice that he had been sent to bring back to his own ship Billy True
Blue Freeborn.

CHAPTER TWENTY TWO.

The _Gannet_ was bound to the West Indies. All True Blue's friends were
on board. The indignation they felt at the way he had first been
captured, and then kept on board, was very great. He had contrived to
get off a letter to Mary, who of course told her father and Abel Bush
what had occurred; and they at once told the Captain, who, finding that
the brig was still at Plymouth, hoped to get there in time to recover
him.

"Ah, True Blue, my lad, you did right to stick to your ship, and not to
run," observed Paul Pringle, when his godson told him how much he had
been tempted to do so. "Look here, now; if you had run, you see, you
would have found the _Gannet_ sailed, and lost your ship altogether.
There's no doubt about the matter."

Sir Henry Elmore was still on board as second lieutenant, and appeared
very glad to see him. Captain Brine called him aft, and spoke very
kindly to him. Moreover, he told him that he had given him the rating
of captain of the foretop, which was a great honour for so young a
seaman, and that when another vacancy occurred, he should have the
highest which his age would allow.

The ship had a quick passage to the West Indies, without meeting with an
enemy or even making a prize of a merchantman. When there, however,
plenty of work appeared cut out for her.

Before long, when cruising off Porto Rico, a sail was descried from the
masthead. The stranger at once bore down on the corvette. She was soon
made out to be a large ship. No thought of flight entered the heads of
any one. If Spanish, they would take her; if French, they might hope to
beat her off. All hands were rather disappointed when she made the
signal of H.M. frigate _Trent_; and when she came up she hove to, and
Captain Brine, ordering his boat, went on board.

The two ships made sail and stood in for the land. As they skirted
along the coast, as near in as they could venture, several vessels were
seen at anchor in a bay, under the protection of a fort. Some were
large and apparently armed. The frigate and corvette now stood off
shore again, and the senior Captain informed Captain Brine that he
proposed cutting them out at night, when they would be less prepared for
an attack. Before the eve