Chapter 26 - Page 2

happen to be in the
lugger's track; for, while Raoul was disposed to let his prisoner go, he
had a strong desire to seize any other officers of the frigate that
might fall in his way. The search was ineffectual, however; and when the
lugger came out into the open sea, all expectation of further success,
of this nature, was reluctantly abandoned.

As le Feu-Follet was now in dangerous proximity to three cruisers of the
enemy, the moment was one that called for decision. Fortunately, the
positions of the English vessels were known to Raoul, a circumstance
that lessened the danger, certainly; but it would not do to continue
long within a league of their anchorage, with the risk of the land
breezes failing. As yet the darkness, and the shadows of the land,
concealed the privateer, and her commander determined, if not literally
to make hay while the sun shone, at least to profit by its absence. With
this view, then, he ordered the lugger hove-to, the boat of Clinch
hauled to the lee gangway, and the prisoners to be all brought on deck;
the common men in the waist, and the master's mate aft.

"Here I must lose the pleasure of your company, Monsieur Clinch," said
Raoul, with a courtesy that may almost be termed national. "We are quite
as near _votre belle_ Proserpine as is safe, and _I_ long for _notre
belle France_, The wind is fair to take us off the coast, and two hours
will carry us out of sight, even were it noonday. You will have the
complaisance to make my duty to Monsieur Cuffe--_oui, pardie!_ and to
_ces braves Italiens_, who are so much ze amis of Sir Smees!
_Touchez-la_."

Raoul laughed, for his heart was light, and sundry droll conceits
danced through his brain. As Clinch, the whole was Greek to him, with
the exception that he understood it was the intention of the French to
take their vessel off the coast, a circumstance that he was not sorry to
learn, though he would have given so much, a few hours earlier, to have
known where to find her. Raoul's generosity had worked a revolution in
his feelings, however, and nothing was further from his wishes, now,
than to be employed against the celebrated privateersman. Still, he had
a duty to perform to the service of which he was a member, another to
Jane, and a last to himself.

"Captain Yvard," said the master's-mate, taking the other's offered
hand, "I shall never forget this kindness on your part; it comes at a
most fortunate moment for me. My happiness in this world, and perhaps in
the world to come"--an ejaculation of "bah!" involuntarily escaped the
listener--"depended on my being at liberty. I hold it to be fair,
however, to tell you the whole truth. I must do all I can to capture or