, whilst the other boats towed the privateer
towards the frigate. In a few minutes they were out of musket-shot; the
pinnace returned, and they had leisure to examine into the loss which
they had sustained in the conflict.

The launch had suffered most; nine of her crew were either killed or
wounded. Three seamen and four marines had suffered in the other boats.
Twenty-seven of the privateer's men were stretched on the decks, either
dead or unable to rise. Those who had not been severely hurt had
escaped below with the rest of the crew.

Price was standing at the wheel, his sabre not yet sheathed, with
Courtenay at his side, when his inveterate habit returned, and he
commenced--

"`I do remember, when the fight was done--'"

"So do I, and devilish glad that it's over," cried Jerry, coming forward
from the taffrail with a cutlass in hand, which although he could wield,
he could certainly not have done much execution with.

"Why, how came you here, Mr Jerry?" inquired Courtenay.

"Oh! Stewart brought me in his boat, with the hopes of getting rid of
me; but I shall live to plague him yet."

"You are not hurt, Seymour, I hope?" said Price to our hero, who now
joined the party, and whose clothes were stained with blood.

"No," replied Seymour, smiling. "It's not my blood--it's Stewart's. I
have been binding up his head; he has a very deep cut on the forehead,
and a musket-ball in his neck; but I think neither of the wounds is of
much consequence."

"Where is he?"

"In the cutter. I desired them to put the wounded man in her, out of
the launch, and to pull on board at once. Was not I right?"

"Yes, most assuredly. I should have thought of it myself."

"Well, Jerry," said Seymour, laughing, "how many did you--"

"I did not count them; but if you meet with any chaps with deeper wounds
than usual, put them down to me. Do you know, Mr Price, you are more
indebted to me than you may imagine for the success of this affair?"

"How, Mr Jerry? I should like to know, that I may prove my gratitude;
`eleven out of the thirteen' you paid, I've no doubt."

"It was not altogether that--I frightened them more than I hurt them;
for when they would have returned the blows from this stalwart arm,"
said Jerry, holding out the member in question, which was about the
thickness of a large carrot, "I immediately turned edgeways to them, and
was invisible. They thought that they had to deal with either a ghost
or a magic