I saw that there was not the slightest use reasoning with him, but that it would be necessary to watch him, lest in his frenzy he should jump overboard. As the dreadful idea came on me that he might do so, I saw the black fin of the seaman's sworn foe, a shark, gliding toward us, and a pair of sharp eyes looking wistfully up towards me, so I fancied, as if the creature considered the leaky boat and its contents a dainty dish prepared for his benefit. It made me set to work to bale with all the strength I could muster. Seeing me so employed, O'Carroll for a moment forgot his mad idea, and followed my example. Often and often I turned my gaze towards the approaching ship. It seemed even still open to doubt whether she would pass near enough to observe us. At length the breeze reached us, and hoisting our sails as well as our strength would allow, we stood in a direction to come across the course the stranger was steering. I told Kelson, in a whisper, to assist me in keeping a watch on O'Carroll, for as we drew nearer the stranger, so did his uneasiness increase, and he was evidently still under the impression that she was the dreaded _Mignonne_. William and Trundle looked at her with lack-lustre eyes. I asked Kelson what he thought she was. "A small Chinaman, or a store-ship, maybe, sir," he answered. "She's English, certainly, by the cut of her sails." "You hear what he says," I observed to O'Carroll. "I think the same myself. We shall be treated as friends when we get on board." "Ye are after desaving me, I know ye are," cried the poor fellow, turning round and giving a reproachful glance at me. "Don't ye see the ugly villain La Roche himself standing on the cathead ready to order his crew of imps to fire as soon as we get within range of their guns?" This notion so tickled Kelson's fancy that he fairly burst into a fit of laughter, in which I and the rest of the party faintly joined, from very weakness, for most of them had not heard what was said. Even O'Carroll himself imitated us. Suddenly he stopped. "It's no laughing matter, though, let me tell you," he observed gravely, after some time had elapsed, and the stranger had neared us so that we could see the people on deck. "But where's La Roche? Oh, I see, he's aft there, grinning at us as usual." He pointed to a most respectable-looking old gentleman, who was, I supposed, the master of the ship. "You are mistaken in that," said I, feeling the importance of keeping him quiet till he could be got on board. "If that is the _Mignonne_, she has been captured, and is in possession of a British crew. You'll see that I am right directly."