in their relative positions, his feelings of
affection towards him were in no way altered. One volunteer most of his
old shipmates would willingly have seen return home; but, like a bad
shilling, he turned up when least wanted. When the _Gannet_ sailed,
Gregory Gipples had by some mischance been left on shore, and, meeting
Sir Henry, he begged so strenuously to be taken on board the _Rover_,
and promised so earnestly to reform in all respects, that the young
commander undertook to give him a trial.

This was the first time in his life that True Blue had been parted,
beyond a few days, from Paul Pringle. They both felt the separation
more than they ventured to express or exhibit to their shipmates; but,
as they knew that it was inevitable, they bore it like brave men, each
confident that absence would not diminish the affection which reigned in
their hearts.

Away sailed the _Rover_ for a cruise on the Spanish main, famed in days
of yore as the locality where the richest prizes were to be picked up.
Even Sir Henry Elmore, whose income was, for his rank, somewhat limited,
had no objection to the chance offered of obtaining a stock of
prize-money; and his officers and crew, including True Blue, looked
forward to the prospect with infinite satisfaction.

The brig had been out of Port Royal about a week, when six sail were
discovered to leeward, and proved to be a ship, with four brigs and a
schooner. They continued their course till the _Rover_ got near enough
to allow her commander to see that the schooner and one of the brigs
each carried sixteen guns, and that another carried six.

They, on discovering that the _Rover_ was English, showed French
colours, and drew close together, as if prepared to engage.

"I know, my lads, that you'll wish to take some of these vessels," said
the commander, as he gave the order to bear down upon the enemy.

The schooner, on this, immediately made the signal to all the vessels to
disperse in different directions, while she herself stood away under all
the sail she could carry.

The _Rover_ made chase, and after three hours came up with the ship and
the largest brig, both of which struck without firing a shot. They
proved to be prizes to the schooner, a French privateer, said to be one
of the fastest vessels in those seas, and, from the number of prizes she
had taken, one of the most successful cruisers.

"Fast as she may be," exclaimed Sir Henry, "we will do our best to take