Giving a final wring to my coat tails, I made my way to the after cabin. The captain, with night-cap on head, had just got into his breeches.
“Glad to see you safe on board, Finnahan,” he said. “Now give me the information you have brought. I’ll hear about your adventures afterwards.”
“I have just escaped from a brig, sir, that is carrying despatches to the French admiral at Guadaloupe, and as she may at any moment slip out of the harbour, I thought you would like to know of it, that you may follow and capture her as soon as she gets to a sufficient distance from this place.”
“How do you know she has despatches?” he asked.
“I heard the French officer who came on board tell the lieutenant in command of the brig what they were, and I saw them in the drawer of the cabin table. I supposed that the lieutenant put them there that they might be handy to throw overboard, should he find at any time that the brig was likely to be recaptured.”
“Then why didn’t you bring them away with you?” asked the captain. “You made your own escape—you might easily, I should have thought, have got hold of them.”
“I felt in honour bound not to do so, sir. I was trusted on board; but as I had not given my word not to escape, I felt justified in getting away when the opportunity offered.”
“I consider you acted rightly,” said the captain. “A man cannot have too nice a sense of honour; at the same time I believe you would have gained great credit if you had brought them off. Much may depend on our getting hold of them. However, we must do our best to capture the brig, and prevent her delivering them to the French admiral. You deserve credit as it is for making your escape, and I’m glad you got off without breaking your parole. I should have regretted to find that you had done that. Now call Mr Saunders, and—hillo! my lad, you’re dripping wet! Go and shift into dry clothes, or rather, if you’re not wanted, turn into your hammock and get some sleep. You have not had much of that to-night, I conclude.”
Getting a lantern from the sentry, I at once repaired to old “Rough-and-Ready’s” cabin.
“Mr Saunders,” I shouted, “the captain wants to see you.” He jumped up in a moment wide awake—a good first lieutenant always sleeps with one eye open.