the three vessels kept company until, on the third day after sailing, they overtook the two merchantmen. nat, supposing that the isis would now leave them, went on board to thank the captain for the great assistance that he had given him.

"i shall stay with you now, mr. glover. the news of the outbreak of war will be known at jamaica by this time, for the despatches were sent off on the day before we sailed from home, by the fleetwing, which is the fastest corvette in the service. she was to touch at antigua and then go straight on to port royal. i was to carry the news to barbados, so that it does not make any difference whether i reach kingston two hours earlier or later. there is a possibility that the french may have sent ships off even before they declared war[pg 332] with us, and as it is certain that there are several war-ships of theirs out here, one of these might fall in with you before you reach jamaica. therefore as my orders are simply to report myself to the admiral at kingston, i think it is quite in accordance with my duty that i should continue to sail in company with you."

"thank you, sir. there certainly is at least one french frigate in the bay of hayti, and if she has received the news she is quite likely to endeavour to pick up some prizes before it is generally known, just as the spartane picked up those merchantmen, and though possibly we might beat her off, i should very much prefer to be let alone."

"yes, you have done enough for one trip, and i should much regret were you to be deprived of any of your captures."

the agile was signalled to prepare to pick up her boat, and nat was soon on board his own craft again. he ran up to within speaking distance of the spartane, and shouted to turnbull that the isis was going to remain in company with them. turnbull waved his hand, for although he had not entertained any fear of their being attacked, he felt nervous at his responsibility if a sudden gale should spring up and the temporary rudder be carried away. it was a comfort to him to know that, should this happen, the isis would doubtless take him in tow, for in anything like a wind the agile would be of little use. however, the weather continued fine, and in five days after leaving barbados they entered kingston harbour. three hours before, the isis had spread all sail, and entered, dropping anchor half an hour before the agile sailed in in charge of the three large ships. the brigantine was heartily cheered by the crews of all the vessels in port, but it was naturally supposed that it was the isis that had done the principal work in capturing the spartane. her captain, however, had rowed to the flag-ship directly they came in port,[pg 333] leaving mr. ferguson to see to the spartane being anchored, and had given him a brief account of the nature of the procession that was approaching three or four miles away.

"he is a most extraordinary young officer," the admiral said. "he first distinguished himself nearly three years ago by rescuing the daughter of a planter in hayti, who was attacked by a fierce hound, and who would have been killed had he not run up. he was very seriously hurt, but managed to despatch the animal with his dirk. since that time he has been constantly engaged in different adventures. he was in that desperate fight when the orpheus broke up a notorious horde of pirates on the mainland, and distinguished himself greatly. he was up country in hayti when the negroes rose, and he there saved from the blacks a lady and her daughter, the same girl that he had rescued from the dog, and shot eight of the villains, but had one of his ribs broken by a ball. in spite of that, he carried the lady, who was ill with fever, some thirty miles across a rough country down to cape fran?ois in a litter.

"then i gave him the command of a little cockle-shell of a schooner mounting four guns, carrying only twenty men. hearing of a planter and his family in the hands of the blacks, he landed the whole of his crew, while expecting himself to be attacked by boats, and rescued the planter, three ladies, and six white men, and got them down on board, although opposed by three hundred negroes. then he captured the brigantine he now commands, and a valuable prize that she had taken, and you say he has now captured a french thirty-six-gun frigate, after a fight in which she lost in killed and wounded half her crew, and recovered two indiamen she had picked up on her way out."

they went out on the quarter-deck, where the admiral repeated to his officers the story that he had just heard, and[pg 334] from them it soon circulated round the ship. some of the crew had just cleaned the guns with which they had returned the salute fired by the isis as she entered the port on arriving for the first time on the station, but they were scarcely surprised when, as the brigantine approached, the first lieutenant gave the order for ten more blank cartridges to be brought up, and for the crew to prepare to man the yards. but the surprise of those on board the other ships of war and the merchantmen was great when they saw the sailors swarming up the ratlines and running out on the yards.

"it is an unusual thing," the admiral remarked to the captains of the isis and his own ship, "and possibly contrary to the rules of the service, but i think the occasion excuses it."

the brigantine did not salute as she came into the port, as she was considered to be on the station.

"what can they be doing on board the flag-ship?" nat said to lippincott.

"i think they are going to man the yards. it is not the king's birthday, or anything of that sort, that i know of; but as it is just eight bells it must be something of the kind."

as they came nearly abreast of the flag-ship, the signal, "well done, agile!" was run up, and at the same moment there was a burst of white smoke, and a thundering report, and a tremendous cheer rose from the seamen on the yards.

"they are saluting us, sir," lippincott exclaimed.

the ensign had been dipped in salute to the flag, and the salute had been acknowledged by the admiral five minutes before. lippincott now sprang to the stern, and again lowered the ensign. the admiral and all his officers were on their quarter-deck, and as he raised his cocked hat the others stood bareheaded. nat uncovered. he was so moved that he had difficulty in keeping back his tears, and he felt a deep relief when the last gun had fired, and the cheers given by his own[pg 335] handful of men and by those on board the prizes had ceased. for the next quarter of an hour he was occupied in seeing that the four vessels were anchored in safe berths. then, as the signal for him to go on board the flag-ship was hoisted, he reluctantly took his place in the gig, and went to make his report. the admiral saw by his pale face that he was completely unnerved, and at once took him into his cabin.

"i see, mr. glover," he began kindly, "that you would much rather that i did not say anything to you at present. the welcome that has been given to you speaks more than any words could do of our appreciation of your gallant feat. i do not say that you have taken the first prize since war was declared, for it is probable that other captures have been made nearer home, but at any rate, it is the first that has been made in these waters. i was surprised indeed when captain talbot told me that he had a hundred french prisoners on board, and some fifty wounded. as he had not the mark of a shot either in his sails or in his hull, i could not understand, until he gave me an outline of what had taken place—of how he had become possessed of them. is your prize much injured?"

"she has a good many shot-holes on each quarter, sir, and the stern lights and fittings are all knocked away. she suffered no very serious damage. she requires a new mizzen-mast; but there is not a hole in her canvas, which is all new, for we fired only at the stern, and it was just below the deck that her mast was damaged."

"you have, i hope, written a full report of the engagement?"

nat handed in his report. it was very short, merely stating that, having fallen in with the thirty-six-gun french frigate the spartane, convoying two prizes, he had engaged her, and after placing himself on her quarter, had raked her until her mizzen-mast fell, and her rudder was smashed; that, seeing[pg 336] that she could not get away, he had then returned to the prizes, which turned out to be the jane of liverpool, of eight hundred tons burden, and the flora of london, of nine hundred and thirty. the crew of the latter, on seeing that the spartane was crippled, had risen and overpowered the prize crew. the other struck her colours when he came up to her. he then returned to the spartane, which struck her flag without further resistance.

"i desire to bring to your notice the great assistance i received from lieutenant turnbull, whom i afterwards placed in charge of the prize, and from mr. lippincott. it is also my duty to mention that assistant-surgeon doyle has been indefatigable in his attentions to my own wounded and those of the spartane."

then followed the list of his own casualties, and those of the spartane.

"a very official report, mr. glover," the admiral said with a smile, when he had glanced through it. "however, the admiralty will wish to know the details of an action of so exceptional a character, and i must therefore ask you to send me in as complete an account of the affair as possible, both for my own information and theirs. now, i think you had better take a glass of wine. i can see that you really need one, and you will have to receive the congratulations of my officers. by the way, do you know anything of the cargoes of the two ships you retook?"

"no, sir, i have really not had time to enquire. till we left barbados i was constantly employed, and on my way out i have kept close to the spartane in order to be able to assist at once if anything went wrong with the steering-gear. i should wish to say, sir, that i feel under the deepest obligations to captain talbot for the great assistance that he and his crew have rendered me in getting up the jury-mast, and fitting[pg 337] up the temporary rudder. had it not been for that i might have been detained for some time at barbados."

having drunk a glass of wine, nat went out with the admiral on to the quarter-deck. the officers pressed round, shook hands, and congratulated him. it did not last long, for the admiral said kindly:

"the sound of our cannon, gentlemen, has had a much greater effect upon mr. glover's nerves than had those of his prize, and i think we must let him off without any further congratulations for to-day. besides, he has a long report to write for me, and a good many other things to see to."

nat was glad indeed to take his place in the gig, and to return to the agile. he spent two hours in writing his report in duplicate. when he had done this he went ashore to the prize agent to enquire what formalities were needed with regard to the recaptured merchantmen; and having signed some official papers, he went up to monsieur duchesne's. monsieur pickard and his family had sailed months before for england, but the duchesnes were still in possession of the house they had hired. they enjoyed, they said, so much the feeling of rest and security that they were by no means anxious for a sea voyage; and indeed madame duchesne was still far from well, and her husband was reluctant to take her to the cold climate of england until summer had well set in.

"ah, my dear nat," madame duchesne said, "we were hoping that you would be able to spare time to call to-day. my husband would have gone off to see you, but he knew that you had a great deal to do. all the town is talking of your capture of the french frigate, and the recapture of the two prizes that she had taken. several of our friends have come in to tell us about it; but of course we were not surprised, for your capturing the frigate with the agile was no more wonderful than your taking the agile with the arrow."[pg 338]

"it was a lucky affair altogether, madame duchesne."

"i knew that you would say so," myra said indignantly. "whatever you do you always say it is luck, as if luck could do everything. i have no patience with you."

"i will endeavour not to use the word again in your presence, myra," nat laughed. "but i have no time for an argument to-day, i have only just run in for a flying visit to see how you are. i have no end of things to see to, and i suppose it will be some days before all the business of the prizes is finished, the frigate formally handed over, and the value of the indiamen and their cargo estimated. however, as soon as i am at all free i will come in for a long talk. you know that there is nowhere that i feel so happy and at home as i do here."

it was indeed three days before he had time to pay another visit.

"it is too bad of you, not coming to dinner," myra said as he entered. "we really did expect you."

"i hoped that i should be able to get here in time, but ever since i saw you i have been going backwards and forwards between the ships and the shore, calling at the dockyard and prize court. to-day there has been a regular survey of the spartane. they were so long over it that i began to think i should not be able to get away at all."

"you will be becoming quite a millionaire," monsieur duchesne said, "if you go on like this."

"well, you see, we were lucky—i beg your pardon, myra—i mean we were fortunate. we had a very small crew on board the arrow, and as it was an independent command, the whole of the prize-money for the capture of the agile and her prize was divided among us, with the exception of the flag share; and i found, to my surprise, that my share came to ￡2500. without knowing anything of the cargoes of the[pg 339] prizes that i have recaptured now, and what will be paid for the spartane, i should think that my share would come to twice as much this time, so that i shall be able before long to retire into private life—that is, if i have any inclination to do so."

"but i suppose," madame duchesne said, "that if you marry you will want to settle down."

"i am too young to think of such a matter, madame," nat laughed. "why, i am only just nineteen, and it will be quite soon enough to think of that in another eight or ten years. but there is no doubt that when the time comes i shall give up the sea. i don't think it is fair to a wife to leave her at home while you are running the risk of being shot. it is bad enough for her in time of peace, but in war-time it must be terrible for her, and it strikes me that this war is likely to be a long one. it seems to me that it is a question for a man to ask himself, whether he loves his profession or a woman better. if he cares more for the sea, he should remain single; if he thinks more of the woman, let him settle down with her."

"that sounds very wise," monsieur duchesne said with a smile, "but when the time comes for the choice i fancy that most men do not accept either alternative, but marry and still go to sea."

"that is all right when they have only their profession to depend upon," nat said. "then, if a woman, with her eyes open to the fact that he must be away from her for months, is ready to take a man for better or for worse, i suppose the temptation is too strong to be withstood. happily it won't be put in my way, for even if i never take another ship i shall have enough to live on quietly ashore."

"now, you must tell us the story of the fight," myra said.

"the story is told in twenty words," he replied. "she did not suspect that we were an enemy until we had passed her,[pg 340] and our broadside told her what we were. as the agile is faster and much more handy than the frigate, we managed to keep astern of her, and, sailing backwards and forwards, poured our broadsides in her stern, while she could scarce get a gun to bear on us. we managed to cripple her rudder, and after this the fight was virtually over. however, she kept her flag flying till we shot away her mizzen, after which, seeing that she was at our mercy, and that her captain, two lieutenants, and more than half her crew were killed or wounded, she lowered her colours. now, really that is the whole account of the fight. if i were telling a sailor, who would understand the nautical terms, i could explain the matter more clearly, but if i were to talk for an hour you would understand no more about it than you do now."

an hour later, nat went out with monsieur duchesne to smoke a cigar on the verandah, myra remaining indoors with her mother, who was afraid of sitting out in the cool evening breeze.

"going back to our conversation about marriage, nat," monsieur duchesne said, "it is a question which my wife and i feel some little interest in. you see, it is now more than three years since you saved myra's life, after which you rendered her and my wife inestimable service. now, i know that in your country marriages are for the most part arranged between the young people themselves. with us such an arrangement would be considered indecent. if your father and mother were out here, the usual course would be for your mother to approach my wife and talk the matter over with her. my wife would consult with me, and finally, when we old people had quite come to an understanding, your father would speak to you on the subject. all this is impossible here. now, it seems to my wife and myself that, having rendered such inestimable services to us, and having been thrown with my daughter a good[pg 341] deal—who, i may say, without any undue vanity, is a very attractive young lady—you could scarcely be indifferent to her.

"as you said, according to your british notions you are too young to think of marrying; and, at any rate, my wife has sounded myra, and the girl has assured her that you have never said a word to her that would lead her to believe you entertained other than what i may call a brotherly affection for her. now, i can tell you frankly, that one of our reasons for remaining here for the past six months has been that we desired that the matter should be arranged one way or the other. it has struck us that it was not your youth only that prevented you from coming to me and asking for myra's hand, but a foolish idea that she is, as is undoubtedly the case, a very rich heiress. before i go farther, may i ask if that is the case, and if you really entertain such an affection for my daughter as would, putting aside all question of money and of your youth, lead you to ask her hand?"

"that i can answer at once, sir. ever since i first met her, and especially since i saw how bravely she supported that terrible time when she might fall into the hands of the blacks, i have thought of your daughter as the most charming girl that i have ever met. of course, i was but a lad and she a young girl—no thought of marriage at that time even entered my mind. during the past three years that feeling has grown, until i have found that my happiness depends entirely upon her. i felt, monsieur, that my lips were sealed, not only by the fact that she was an heiress and i only a penniless lieutenant, but because it would be most unfair and ungenerous were i, on the strength of any services i may have rendered, to ask you for her hand."

"it is not on account of those services, much as we recognize them, that i offer you her hand, but because both her[pg 342] mother and herself feel that her happiness, which is the great object of our lives, is involved in the matter. in most cases, a young lady well brought up does not give her heart until her father presents to her an eligible suitor. this is an exceptional case. i do think that any girl whose life had been saved, as hers was, at the risk of that of her rescuer, and who, during a most terrible time, came to look up to him as the protector of herself and her mother, and who, moreover, was constantly hearing of his daring actions, and to whom her dearest friends also owed their lives, could not but make him her hero. i need not say that the subject has not been mooted to her, and it was because i desired the matter to be settled before we left for europe that we have lingered here. i am glad indeed that i now know your feeling in the matter. i am conscious that in giving her to you we are securing her happiness. i have, of course, ever since the day when you saved her from that dog, watched your character very closely, and the result has been in all respects satisfactory. now, i will go in and tell her that i will take her place by her mother's side, and that she may as well come out here and keep you company."

in a minute myra stepped out on to the verandah.

"it is cool and nice here, nat. i think it would do mother more good out here than keeping in the house, where in the first place it is hot, while in the second place it gives me the horrors to see the way the moths and things fly into the lights and burn themselves to death."

"no doubt it is pleasanter here," nat said, wondering how he ought to begin.

"that was very soberly said, nat," myra laughed. "one would think that it was a proposition that required a good deal of consideration."

"it was a proposition that received no consideration. in[pg 343] point of fact, just at present, dear, my head is a little turned with a conversation that i have just had with your father."

"what do you mean?" she asked.

"i mean that i see before me a great and unlooked-for happiness, a happiness that i had hardly ventured even to hope for, but at present it is incomplete; it is for you to crown it if you can do so. your father has given his consent to my telling you that i love you. i do love you truly and earnestly, myra, but i should not be content with anything less than your love. i don't want it to be gratitude. i don't want any thought of that business with the dog, or of the other business with the blacks, to have anything to do with it."

"they must have something to do with it," she said softly, "for it was owing to these that i first began to love you. it was at first, no doubt, a girl's love for one who had done so much for her, but since then it has become a woman's love for the one man that she should choose out of all. i love you, nat, i love you with all my heart."

ten minutes later they went hand in hand into the house. monsieur duchesne had told his wife what had occurred in the verandah, and as they came in she rose and threw her arms round myra's neck and kissed her tenderly.

"you have chosen wisely, my child, and have made us both very happy. we can give her to you, monsieur glover, without one misgiving; we know that in your hands her life will be a happy one. and now," she went on with a smile, "you will have to face that terrible problem you were discussing an hour since. you will have to choose between a wife and the sea."

"the problem may be settled at once, madame," nat said with a smile.

"at any rate, there is no occasion to choose at present," madame duchesne went on. "myra is but just past sixteen,[pg 344] and her father and i both think that it is as well that you should wait at least a couple of years before there is any talk of marriage, both for her sake and yours. after your brilliant services, especially in capturing the frigate, you are sure of rapid promotion, and it would be a pity indeed for you to give up your profession until you have obtained the rank of captain, when you could honourably retire. we shall leave for england very shortly, france is out of the question. as you said, you and my daughter are both young, and can well afford to wait."

"that is so, madame, we quite acquiesce in your decision. as to your going to england, it is likely that i may be going there myself very shortly. the admiral hinted to-day that, as the dockyard people say that the spartane can be ready for sea in ten days or so, he will probably send me home in her. he very kindly kept back my report of the action, and merely stated that the french frigate spartane had been brought in in tow by his majesty's brigantine agile, together with two merchantmen she had captured on her way out, which had also been retaken by the agile, and said that he thought it was only fair that i should carry back my own report and his full despatch on the subject. of course i may be sent out again, or i may be employed on other service. at any rate i shall be able to get a short leave before i go to sea again. i have been out here now six years, and feel entitled to a little rest. i would certainly rather be employed in the mediterranean than here, for there is more chance of seeing real service."

the next day nat received an order from the admiral to hand over the command of the agile to lieutenant turnbull. lippincott, who would pass his examination and receive his step, was to act as first lieutenant, and a midshipman from one of the ships on the station was to be second officer. nat himself[pg 345] was ordered to superintend the repairs and fitting out for sea of the spartane.

"i am awfully sorry that you are going, glover," turnbull said. "of course it is a great pull for me being appointed to the command, but i was very jolly and happy as i was. i don't think there ever was a pleasanter party on board one of his majesty's ships. however, of course it is a great lift for me. i shall try to keep things going as comfortably as you did."

"i have no doubt that you will do that, turnbull, and you have an able ally in doyle."

"doyle was inconsolable when i came on board yesterday and told him that you were going home in the spartane, and that i was to have the command."

"it is the worst news that i have heard for many a day," doyle had said. "you are very well, turnbull, and i have no sort of complaint to make of you, but i am afraid that the luck will go with glover. it is his luck and not the ship's; whatever he has put his hand to has turned out well. i don't say that he has not done his work as well as it could be done, but there is no doubt that luck is everything. if one of the agile's guns had knocked away a mast or spar from the arrow it would have been all up with you; and again, had a shot from the frigate crippled us, she would have been after taking the agile into a french port instead of our bringing her in here."

"yes, but then you see that upon both occasions glover put his craft where it was difficult to get their guns to bear on her."

"yes, yes, i know that; but that does not alter it a bit. if there had been only one shot fired, and had we been an unlucky boat, it would, sure enough, have brought one of the spars about our ears."[pg 346]

"well, doyle, it may be that it was my luck, and not glover's, that pulled us through. you see, i should have been shot or had my throat cut by the pirates if we had been taken by them, so possibly i am the good genius of the boat; or it may be lippincott."

"botheration to you!" the irishman said, as he saw by a twinkle in turnbull's eye that he was really chaffing him; "there is one thing certain, if you get wounded and fall into my hands, you will not regard that as a matter of luck."

"well, at any rate, doctor, glover told me half an hour ago of a piece of luck in which none of us here can share. he is engaged to that very pretty french girl whom he is always calling on when we are in port."

"i thought that was what would come of it, turnbull," lippincott said; "it would be rum if she hadn't fallen in love with him after all that he did for her."

"i was greatly taken with her myself," the doctor said, "the first time she came on board, but i saw with half an eye that the race was lost before i had time to enter. besides, i could not afford to marry without money, and one of these poor devils of planters, who have had to run away from hayti with, for the most part, just the clothes they stood up in, would hardly make the father-in-law yours faithfully would desire. i wonder myself how they manage to keep up such a fine establishment here, but i suppose they had a little put away in an old stocking, and are just running through it. they are shiftless people, are these planters, and, having been always used to luxuries, don't know the value of money."

turnbull burst into a fit of laughter in which lippincott joined, for in the early days of the cruise on the arrow they had heard from nat how his friends had for generations laid by a portion of their revenues, and allowed the interest to accumulate, so that, now that the time had come for utilizing[pg 347] the reserve, they were really much richer people than they had been when living on their fine plantation. doyle looked astonished at their laughter.

"my dear doyle," turnbull went on, "it is too comical to hear you talking of a shiftless planter—you, belonging as you do to the most happy-go-lucky race on the face of the earth. now, i will ask you, did you ever hear of a family of irish squires who for generations put aside a tenth part of their income, and allowed the interest to accumulate without touching it, so that, when bad times came, they found that they were twice as well off as they were before?"

"begorra, you are right, turnbull; never did i hear of such a thing, and i don't believe it ever happened since the first irish crossed the seas from somewhere in the east."

"well, at any rate, doyle, that is what the duchesnes have done, and i should think, from what glover says—though he did not mention any precise sum, for he did not know himself—but i should say that it must come to at least a hundred thousand pounds."

"mother of moses!" the doctor exclaimed; "it is a mighty bad turn you have done me, turnbull, that you never gave me as much as a hint of this before. i should have been sorry for glover, who is in all ways a good fellow; still i should have deemed it my duty to my family, who once—as you know, is the case of almost every other family in the ould country—were kings of ireland. i should have restored the ancient grandeur of my family, built a grand castle, and kept open house to all comers—and to think that i never knew it!"

"then you think, doctor," lippincott said, with a laugh, "that you only had to enter the lists to cut glover out?"

"i don't go quite so far as that; but, of course, now the thing is settled for good, it would be of no use trying to disturb it, and it would hardly be fair on glover. but, you see, as long as[pg 348] it was an open matter, i might have well tried my luck. i should have had great advantages. you see, i am a grown man, whereas glover is still but a lad. then, though i say it myself, i could talk his head off, and am as good as those who have kissed the blarney stone at bewildering the dear creatures."

"those are great advantages, no doubt, doyle; but, you see, glover had one advantage which, i have no doubt, counted with the lady more than all those you have enumerated. he had saved her life at the risk of his own, he had carried her, and her mother, through terrible dangers."

"yes, yes, there is something in that," doyle said, shaking his head; "if the poor young fellow is satisfied with gratitude i have nothing more to say. at any rate, i have lost my chance. now, perhaps, as you know all about this, you might put me up to some other lady in similar circumstances, but with a heart free to bestow upon a deserving man."

"i should not be justified in doing so, doyle. after what you have been saying about building a baronial castle, and keeping open house, it is clear that you would soon bring a fortune to an end, however great it might be; and, therefore, i should not feel justified in aiding you in any way in your matrimonial adventures."

"it's a poor heart that never rejoices," the doctor said. "the tumblers are empty. sam, you rascal, bring us another bottle of that old jamaica, fresh limes, and cold water. it is one of the drawbacks of this bastely climate that there is no pleasure in taking your punch hot."

one of the negroes brought in the materials.

"now, doctor," turnbull said, "i know that in spite of this terrible disappointment you will drink heartily the toast, 'nat glover and mademoiselle duchesne, and may they live long and happily together!'"[pg 349]

"that is good," doyle said as he emptied his tumbler at a draught; "nothing short of a bumper would do justice to it. hand me the bottle again, lippincott, and cut me a couple of slices off that lime. yes, i will take two pieces of sugar, please, turnbull. now i am going to propose a toast, 'the new commander of the agile, and may she, in his hands, do as well as she did in those of nat glover.'"

three days later the agile started on another cruise. nat spent his time in the dockyard, where he was so well known to all the officials that they did everything in their power to aid him to push matters forward, and a week after the brigantine had left the spartane was ready for sea. nat had seen the admiral several times, but had heard nothing from him as to who were the officers who were to take the spartane home, nor whether he was to sail as a passenger bearing despatches or as one of the officers. when he went on board the flag-ship to report that all was ready for sea, the admiral said:

"mr. winton, first lieutenant of the onyx, is invalided home. he is a good officer, but the climate has never agreed with him, and, as his father has lately died and he has come into some property, he will, i have no doubt, go on half-pay for a time until he is thoroughly set up again. i shall therefore appoint him as first lieutenant of the spartane; mr. plumber, second lieutenant of the tiger, will go second.

"i have decided, mr. glover, to give you the rank of acting commander. you captured the ship, and it is fair that you should take her to england. mind, i think it probable enough that the authorities at home may not be willing to confirm your rank, as it is but little over two years since you obtained your present grade. i feel that i am incurring a certain responsibility in giving you the command of a thirty-six-gun frigate, but you have had opportunities of showing that you are a thorough seaman, and can fight as well as sail your ship."[pg 350]

"i am immensely obliged, sir," nat said hesitatingly, "but i have never for a moment thought of this, and it does seem a tremendous responsibility. besides, i shall be over two officers both many years senior to myself."

"i have spoken to both of them," the admiral said, "and pointed out to them that, after you had captured the frigate with the little brigantine you commanded, i considered it almost your right to take her home. i put it frankly to them that, if they had any objection to serving under one so much their junior, i should by no means press the point, but that at the same time i should naturally prefer having two experienced officers with you instead of officering her entirely with young lieutenants junior to yourself. i am glad to say that both of them agreed heartily, and admitted the very great claim that you have to the command. mr. winton is anxious to get home, and knows that he might have to wait some time before a ship of war was going. mr. plumber is equally anxious for a short run home, for, as he frankly stated to me, he has for three years past been engaged to be married, and he has some ground for hope that he may get appointed to a ship on the home station. so as these gentlemen are perfectly willing to serve under you there need be no difficulty on your part in the matter. we will therefore consider it as settled.

"i have made out your appointment as acting commander. i sincerely hope that you will be confirmed in the rank. at any rate, it will count for you a good deal that you should have acted in that capacity. here are your instructions. you will be short-handed; i cannot spare enough men from the ships on this station to make up a full complement. a hundred and fifty are all that i can possibly let you have, but i have told the masters of these two indiamen that they will have to furnish a contingent. i have been on board both the ships to-day. i addressed the crews, and said that you were going[pg 351] to take home the spartane and were short of hands. i said that i did not wish to press any men against their will, but that i hoped that five-and-twenty from each ship would come forward voluntarily; that number had aided to bring the spartane in here; they knew you, and might be sure that the ship would be a comfortable one; and i told them that i would give them passes, saying that they had voluntarily shipped for the voyage home on my guaranteeing that they should, if they chose, be discharged from the service on their arrival. more than the number required volunteered at once, but i asked the captain to pick out for me the men who had before been on board the spartane, and of whose conduct you had spoken highly. three merchantmen will sail under your convoy."

nat went ashore after leaving the admiral, and naturally went straight to the duchesnes.

"who do you suppose is going to command the spartane?" he asked as he went in.

"i know who ought to command her. you took her, and you ought to command her."

"well, it seems absurd, but that is just what i am going to do."

myra clapped her hands in delight.

"have they made you a real captain, then?"

"no," he said with a laugh, "i shall be acting commander. that gives one the honorary rank of captain, but it may be a long time before i get appointed to that rank. the admiral has been awfully kind, but the people at home are not likely to regard my age and appearance as in any way suitable for such a position."

"i am happy to say, nat, that we shall sail under your convoy. i have been settling all my affairs and making my arrangements for leaving, and have this morning definitely[pg 352] taken cabins in the myrtle. as the furniture is not ours, and we have not accumulated many belongings, knowing that we might be sailing at any moment, we can get everything packed by to-night and go on board to-morrow morning. the captain could not tell me at what hour we should sail. he said that it would depend upon the frigate."

"i should like to start at eight if i could, but i cannot say whether everything will be quite ready. however, you had better be on board at that hour. it will be jolly indeed having you all so close to me."

"shall we be able to see each other sometimes?" myra asked.

"many times, i hope; but of course it must depend partly on the weather. if we are becalmed at any time you might come on board and spend a whole day, but if we are bowling along rapidly it would scarcely be the thing to stop two ships in order that the passengers might go visiting."

it was twelve o'clock on the following day when the spartane fired a gun, and at the signal the anchors, which had all been hove short, were run up, the sails shaken out, and the spartane and the three vessels under her charge started on their voyage.