“Among these blacks of parlez-vous. They nabbed me last night as neat as could be—we had a bit of a scrimmage though. I was coming back from a little bit of business.” “Oh, Davy, you shouldn’t!” from Ann. “And I got in too near, never expecting ships here; who would? We were round the corner and on them almost, before we knew it; we made off then, but they saw us and gave chase. We made as fast as we could for a place I know, a good out-of-the-way cave—we’ve got a few about here, Nan—and they came after us. They’d some man who knew the coast among them, that I’ll swear; any stranger must have found out the sharpness of our rocks; but not a bit of it. On they came quite comfortable, and close behind us they were as we got to the mouth of the cave. Levi Mathias stood up in the bow of the boat ready to jump ashore when one of the French marines shot him. I hope to have something to say before that’s done with yet. Out tumbled our men anyhow, running through the surf and up the cliffs, into the darkness anywhere, for the Frenchmen carried torches as well as muskets. Well, they nabbed me.” “You didn’t like to leave Levi,” said Nancy, softly. “I didn’t like to leave the brandy,” said Davy. “They got it, though, and me, tight enough. It put them into a good temper, however, and they didn’t shoot me through the head, like they did a farmer that they made help to roll up their casks of ammunition, when he tried to escape. They made me carry up one of my own kegs which went against the grain; then they took me to their chief.” “Did you see the chief?” I asked, eagerly. “’Deed to goodness, yes—General Tate—no more a Frenchman than I am; Irish, I’m thinking. He seemed very uneasy, and none of his men minded him. I had company—John Owen, of the sloop _Britannia_, laden with culm for Llanstinan—they didn’t care for culm, and were cross to him, and a mortal fright he was in, but had sense enough left to tell them a lot of lies. Then I saw Llewelyn, and had a word on the sly with him; he told me you were hereabouts; I watched my chance, and an hour or two ago I slipped down over the cliffs, seized this boat, and made off; but they saw me from one of the ships, and gave chase, and—” A cry interrupted him, succeeded by a loud splashing of oars. “And, hang them, there they are again. Why-ever couldn’t you hold your tongue, Dan?” This was unjust, as Davy had done all the talking himself; but the present was no moment for arguing. We bent to the oars with a will and in silence, till my hands were blistered, my heart panting, and my back breaking, and still the enemy were gaining on us. Nancy leant forward. “Change with me for a spell, Dan. I can row.” On we went again, fast, faster, and still the other boat came on after us yet more rapidly—it was like a nightmare. We came in very close to the cliffs now, and Davy took both oars. In between two reefs of rocks we went—a deep channel, yet full of treacherous windings and turnings.