“I am just thinking,” was the return, “that a great deal will have to be done before the sun goes down this day. One of us will have to post at once to Paris. We must not delay turning over the mails to the proper authorities, and—another thing—we must get this news to the ears of the Count de Vergennes before it is brought to him by Lord Stormont. I like not altogether de Vergennes’s attitude. He would see us all at the bottom of the sea rather than sacrifice a chosen project of his own, and, as I have said many a time, back of all his half-expressed desires to lend us assistance is but the hope of aiding France’s interest.”
“Well, if any one is to go,” returned the elder Ross, “it should be you, Mr. Hodge, unless you consider it necessary that the captain here should go up in person.”
Conyngham shook his head. “I’m afraid that would be impossible,” he put in. “It would never do at all, at all. I will have to stand by my ship for a few days at least, until we dispose of the prizes in such a manner as to enable me to pay off my crew. Is there much money in the treasury, Mr. Ross?” he asked.
The latter laughed. “I don’t suppose that we have fifty pounds among us at present,” he said. “The treasury has been on the ebb for the past fortnight, but M. Grand, our banker in Paris, is hopeful.”
“There is a good four thousand pounds of ready money in the prizes,” said Conyngham, “and much that could be disposed of on the nail, could we but put it immediately in the market. But it is my belief what must be done must be done quickly. Mr. Hodge should start with the mails for Paris—no one will recognize what those canvas bags contain, and we should scent out some purchaser and sail out of the harbor this very afternoon and hold a little auction off the coast.”
“How about the prisoners?” interrupted Mr. Hodge. “What are we to do with them?”
“I, for one, will say ‘good riddance,’” returned Conyngham, “when once they are on shore. We could never keep them while we are here in port, and I propose giving them a run this very day.”
Upon this point all of the party were agreed, and also upon the necessity of Hodge’s immediate departure for the capital. The latter, accompanied by Allan, left the room in order to see the proprietor of the tavern, to which establishment was attached a stable containing a number of excellent horses and equipages suited for the highroad. They had been gone but a few minutes when suddenly Allan returned, evidently in a state of some perturbation.
“Something has happened,” he said earnestly, “that requires our immediate attention, gentlemen. A moment since I left Mr. Hodge. I was standing at the entrance to the stable-yard, from which a good view could be had of the harbor down the street. Suddenly there appeared a vessel sailing into the field of vision, and from her looks I knew her to be an English sloop of war. She was taking in sail and preparing to drop anchor in the outer harbor, when suddenly a small boat rowed out to her; an instant later she broke out her sails again, and is now coming in close to where the Surprise and the other two are anchored. I don’t like the looks of things.”
“We can obtain a good view of what is happening from one of the windows of an upper room,” said Conyngham.