"'"Give me the helm," I said to the old sailor; "you and the boy are to manage the sail, and manage it right, or I'll blow your brains out." "'As I took the rudder out of his hand, he recoiled a step and exclaimed: "'"It is Captain l'Endurci, as I live!" "'"You know me, then?" "'"Know you, captain! I made two voyages with you on the _Hell-hound_." "'"And your name?" "'"Simon from Dunkirk." "'"I remember you now. So you intended to deliver me, your old captain, into the hands of the English, did you?" "'"May I be shot if I suspected for a single instant that it was you, captain." "'"So this smack belongs to you, I suppose." "'"No, captain, to Bezelek." "'"And where is he?" "'"At the bottom of the sea. He was the man that you killed first and that fell overboard." "'"But how does it happen that you consented to have a hand in my abduction?" "'"Well, captain, we've been doing a little smuggling." "'"That is very apparent." "'"And night before last two men came to us,--that is one of them lying there now." "'He pointed to the dead man in the bow as he spoke. "'"Throw him into the sea," I said, curtly. "'"And the other man?" I inquired, as soon as this order had been obeyed. "'"He is down in the hold. He is the man you wounded in the arm." "'"And how did these men induce you and Bezelek to become their accomplices?" "'"They said: 'Bezelek, there are fifty guineas ready for you if you will consent to take a man we will bring to you to England. We do not intend to injure him in any way; but if he resists, you and your men will be expected to lend a hand in gagging and binding him, and placing him in the hold of your fishing-smack. You will be paid twenty-five guineas in advance, and twenty-five more on your arrival at Folkestone.' As there seemed to be no great harm in the proceeding, the offer tempted Bezelek and he agreed to do what the men asked. But I swear that I had no idea it was you. If I had, I would never have had anything to do with the affair." "'Four hours after I escaped from the hold we were within sight of the port of Mora, where I landed safe and sound.' * * * * * "Our readers will, we are sure, feel grateful to us," added the _Journal of the Empire_, "for having given them this extract from the brave privateer's letter. Thanks be to God, Captain l'Endurci, by his coolness and courage, succeeded in escaping this most infamous conspiracy against him. Let us hope that his name will long remain a terror to the enemies of France." The article concluded, Onésime laid the paper on the table. "What a wonderful man this corsair must be!" exclaimed the housekeeper, admiringly. "Alone, bound and gagged, he nevertheless found a way to escape his imminent danger."