Year: 1876

was quickly run up; and amid rOarS O


laughter from the Frenchmans deck at tn,


trap into which they had so unconsciousl,


Iallen, the unfortunate boats crew looked


up and found perfect cheraur dc trisc G.


muskets leveled at their heads. The fish


ermen's blood was reused; and I think


they would have made a gallant effort fo,


liberty and home had not Hastings in 8


few words showed them that the slightest


resistance would be nothing short of instant


death to all four. He himself stood up in


the stern-sheets. and after short parley


with the French captain surrendered him


sell and his men, under protest, as prison.


ers of war. They were taken on board the


81. Pierre, for so was the French vessel cal.


led, their boat cut adrift, and they did the


best thing they could do under the circum-
stances, made friends with their captors,
and were consequently very well and cour.
teOusly treated. The French commander
assured Mr.. Hastings that he quite believed
his story-in fact, were the truth of it not
so apparent he would have been under the
painful necessity of executing him as a
| spy He was indeed desole that he could
not set Mr.. Hastings and his men at once
at liberty, but, as a naval officer of a rival
power with which unhappily France was at
variance, Mr.. Hastings would easily under
stand that the eXigencies of warfare forbade
it.


That night, little before midnight, the
Frenchman weighed anchor, and with all
canvas spread and a steady breeze on her
quarter made for the port of Brest. They
had fair weather for their voyage. and the
French and Irish character harmonized
wonderfully, though, with the exception of
young Hastings, the men did not under
stand word of each others language.
indeed, had it not been for the thought of
the despair into which the poor wives and
children at home would be plunged when
the empty boat drifted in with the return.
ing tide, they would rather have enioyed
their trip than otherwise.


However, it was fated that matters were
not to 60 on quite so felicitously. A few
hours before they expected to sight Brest.
the men on the lookout signaled sail on
the weatherboard. The captain looked
first through his telescope and then ex-
ceedingly grave. The stranger was man.
of-war, three-decker, with the British flag
flying, and apparently bearing straight
down on them. Should the present wind
continue she would be alongside in a short
time. Flight was out of the question. so the
~. Pierre was quickly hove to, and orders
given to clear the decks and run out the
guns ready for action. Hastings afterwards
said that although all his sympathies were
on the other side, still, when he saw the
French sailors bustling about stripped to
the waist, he and his companions being the
only idle hands on that busy deck, it was
all he could do to refrain from helping
them.


At last, by the time their preparations
were completed the English vessel was so
close that by the aid of the glass they could
count the men on her deck. Then Captain
de Condigny walked up to the young mid.
shipman with outstretched hand.


By right you should have no kindly
feeling towards us, mon ami he said "but
you are sailor enough to know that have
simply done my duty-what would have
been yours had our positions been reversed.
think you bear me no ill-will, and YOU
will at least admit that we have done all in
our power to Tighten your situation. Now,
adieu; we shall have sharp work presently.
and you and your men must 20 below il
would be both dangerous and impolitic for
you to be seen on our deck. !. If we do not
meet again, mon ami, you will not think of
me as an enemy. Adieu''


And the gallant old Frenchman shook
the lad warmly by the hand. Before the
latter with his three companions were half
way down the ladder which led to the
cockpit boom went one of the Englishman's
guns, carrying away portion of the 81.
PieTre's rigging and laying two of her sea.
men dead upon the deck. Boom-boom
went the 81. Pie1re's guns in answer: and
then the action began in earnest, and the
cockpit was soon full of the dead and diving.


The fishermen, who in all their simple
lives had never beheld such a scene, crept
with white faces into corner, their clothes
red with the blood which spouted from the
severed arteries of the wounded men.
Hastings half suffocated by the stencil of
blood and powder in that narrow space.
had taken up his position on water barrel
just under the port through which the
little current of air in that sitting, polluted
atmosphere managed to creep. The sur
geon, whose hands were full enough, looked
up from his work--the amputation of
sailors arm, which had been mashed to
atoms by musket ball, and said dryly:


You had better descend from there, my
friend, in case of accidents, for shall not
have time to attend YOU"


The remark was well-timed, for scarcely
had Hastings vacated his seat than-bane
-crash-mash came n ooo,.o.. IN |