stars we had seen over the deck. "Still, when all was cleared away, and the passengers gone tired out to their berths, I couldn't turn in without a walk on the poop beside the planter, to hear something from him--the ship all the time rising on the brisk seas, every stitch of canvas spread, the African coast beginning to drop in the moonshine, and the schooner a dim speck to north-west through the long gleam on the horizon. I found to my great surprise, there was no reason he could think of for the French craft's detaining them, except that the Brigadier had sworn at Bonaparte in the brig's cabin, or else Mrs Brady's having said she would give the world to see him just now at St Helena; in fact she would go through fire and water only to kiss the hand of such a great hero--such an enemy to all Saxons and tyrants, she vowed. But in fact they had been sitting below at the time our boat came aboard, and knew nothing about it; the French master swore to Rollock, and to the chief officer afterwards, he had mistaken _my_ meaning--because I spoke bad French, no doubt; after which the gale came on, and they never saw the Indiaman again till to-night. As for their going into the river, and changing her rig, the little Frenchman said he found a brig's rig didn't suit a schooner's hull. For my part, however, I didn't see how their course for the Isle of France could be _north-west_. 'By-the-by, though,' added Rollock, 'Mrs Brady made some mystery about the whole affair. She seemed to have a few private discourses with that strange dark-faced passenger of theirs, who, I suspect, had more to do with the vessel than he pretended. But I daresay, Collins, my boy,' said he, laughing, 'she wanted to make us think the foreigner had taken a fancy to her.' "As we were both going below, I said, 'By-the-way, where is Mr Daniel Snout?--I haven't seen _him_ yet.' 'Ah!' said the planter, turning round, 'where is Daniel, after all! _I_ haven't seen him either, since we left the schooner's deck--no, by Jove! sir, he really hasn't come on board, now I think of it! I recollect we were the last boat, and he wasn't in it, although he was behind me just before I got down.' 'What can the man mean?' said I; and we both stood at the top of the hatchway ladder, looking toward the horizon, at the speck of a schooner. 'By jingo, Collins!' exclaimed the planter, chuckling, 'the Yankee is gone to be a pirate!'" CHAPTER XIX