Forty hands?" said Mordaunt; "

well manned for the size of the ship."

you were

"Not so well as we needed to be. We mounted ten guns, besides chasers; but our cruize on the main had thinned us of men, and lumbered us up with goods. Six of our guns were in ballast. Hands! if I had had enough of hands, we would never have miscarried so infernally. The people were knocked up with working the pumps, and so took to their boats, and left me with the vessel, to sink or swim. But the dogs had their pay, and I can afford to pardon themThe boats swamped in the current—all were lost -and here am I."

You had came north about then, from the West Indies?" said Mordaunt.

Ay, ay; the vessel was the Good Hope of Bristol, a letter of marque. She had fine luck down on the Spanish main, both with commerce and privateering, but the luck's ended with her now. My name is Clement Cleveland, captain, and part owner, as I said before-I am a Bristol man born-my father was well known on the Toll-sell-old Clem Cleveland of the Collegegreen."

Mordaunt had no right to inquire farther, and yet it seemed to him as if his own mind was but half satisfied. There was an affectation of bluntness, a sort of defiance in the manner of the stranger, for which circumstances afforded no occasion. Captain Cleveland had suffered injustice from the islanders, but from Mordaunt he had only received kindness and protection; yet he seemed as if he involved all the neighbourhood in the wrongs he complained of. Mordaunt looked down and was silent, doubting whether it would be better to take his leave, or to proceed farther in his offers of assistance. Cleveland seemed to guess at his thoughts, for he immediately added, in a conciliating manner, —“ I am a plain man, Master Mertoun, for that I understand is your name; and I am a ruined man to boot, and that does not mend one's good manners. But you have done a kind and friendly part by me, and it may be I think as much of it as if I thanked you more. And so before I leave this place, I'll give you my fowling piece; she will put a hundred swan-shot through a Dutchman's cap at eighty paces-she will carry ball too-I have hit a wild-bull within

a hundred-and-fifty yards-but I have two that are as good, or better, so you may keep this for my sake."

"That would be to take my share of the wreck," answered Mordaunt, laughing.

"No such matter," said Cleveland, undoing a case which contained several guns and pistols, -" you see I have saved my private arm-chest, as well as my clothes-that the tall old woman in the dark rigging managed for me. And, between ourselves, it is worth all I have lost;" for, he added, lowering his voice and looking round, “when I speak of being ruined in the hearing of these land-sharks, I do not mean ruined stock and block. No, here is something will do more than shoot sea-fowl." So saying, he pulled out a great ammunition-pouch marked swan-shot, and shewed Mordaunt hastily that. it was full of Spanish pistoles and Portagues (as the broad Portugal pieces were then called.) "No, no," he added, with a smile, "I have ballast enough to trim the vessel again; and now, will you take the piece?"

"Since you are willing to give it me,” said Mordaunt, laughing, "with all my heart. I

was just going to ask you, in my father's name," "whether you

he added, shewing his purse,

wanted any of that same ballast."

Thanks; but you see I am provided — take my old acquaintance, and may she serve you as well as she has served me; but you will never make so good a voyage with her. You can shoot, I suppose?"

Tolerably well," said Mordaunt, admiring the piece, which was a beautiful Spanish barrel gun, inlaid with gold, small in the bore, and of unusual length, such as is chiefly used for shooting sea-fowl, and for ball-practice.

"With slugs," continued the donor, " never gun shot closer; and with single ball, you may kill a seal two hundred yards at sea from the top of the highest peak of this iron-bound coast of yours. But I tell you again, that the old rattler will never do you the service she has done me."

"I shall not use her so dexterously, perhaps," said Mordaunt.

Umph!— perhaps not," replied Cleveland; "but that is not the question. What say you to

shooting the man at the wheel, just as we run

aboard of a Spaniard? So the Don was taken aback, and we laid him athwart the hawse, and carried her cutlass in hand; and worth the while she was-stout brigantine-El Santo Francisco -- bound for Porto Bello, with gold and negroes. That little bit of lead was worth

twenty thousand pistoles."

"I have shot at no such game as yet," said Mordaunt.

"Well, all in good time; we cannot weigh till the tide makes. But you are a tight, handsome, active young man. What is to ail you to take a trip after some of this stuff?" laying his hand on the bag of gold.

My father talks of my travelling soon," replied Mordaunt, who, born to hold men-of-war's men in great respect, felt flattered by this invitation from one who appeared a thorough-bred

seaman.

"I respect him for the thought," said the Captain; " and I will visit him before I weigh anchor. I have a consort off these islands, and be cursed to her. She'll find me out somewhere, though she parted company in the bit