ay, supposing her prize to be lost, they might make their escape.
Only two French officers, however, remained on board who understood
navigation, and they must be gained over. This the French boatswain
undertook to do. Some thought their officers would not agree to the
plan.

"Then they must be forced to do so," answered the boatswain; "we will
make them prisoners as well as the English, or heave them all overboard
together."

"That would be dangerous," remarked another, "for should we be retaken,
they would hang us."

"The fortune of war, my friend," answered the boatswain; "remain where
you are, that the English may see that you are amusing yourselves, while
I pay a visit to our lieutenant and the young Aspirante. They surely
will not refuse to enter into our plan."

Owen waited some time longer, but finding that he was not likely to gain
any further information he stole sway, concealed by the darkness, from
where he had been standing, unperceived, as he hoped, by any of the
prisoners. The boatswain, he believed, had not yet gone aft, he
therefore hastened to report what he had heard to Mr Leigh.

"This is important information you have brought me," observed Lieutenant
Leigh. "We can easily thwart the Frenchmen's plot, and I doubt whether
their two officers would agree to it. I had no idea you understood
French. The first thing to be done is to send a gang of these fellows
to the pumps. They shall work whether they like it or not."

Calling Mr Stewart, the master's mate, who had accompanied him, Mr
Leigh directed him to take a dozen armed men and to bring up thirty of
the French crew. "If they refuse, let them understand that they will be
placed in irons. Hartley, accompany Mr Stewart, and tell the Frenchmen
why they are wanted."

The order was speedily put into execution. The Frenchmen grumbled, but
as they had been deprived of all their weapons they could make no
resistance, and the number required were marched up to the main deck.
The French boatswain and several of his companions were greatly
astonished, shortly afterwards, to find themselves handcuffed by another
party of English seamen accompanied by their officers.

"You deserve it, you rascals," said the French lieutenant. "Did you
suppose we should break our word of honour, and join you in your
villainous plot?"

The greater number of the prisoners were now kept at the pumps, with the
exception of those in irons and attending to the sic