Two of the ships ahead struck me as frigates, having their broadsides exposed to us:  we had raised one line of ports, but it was possible they might turn out to be two-deckers; ships of war they were, beyond all question, and I fancied them English from the squareness of their upper sails.  They, too, were consorts, making signals to each other, and closing fast on opposite tacks.  The lugger was no longer equivocal:  it was the Polisson, and she was standing directly for us, though it was ticklish business, since the remaining ship, a corvette, as I fancied, was already in her wake, carrying sail hard, going like a witch, and only about two leagues astern.

Monsieur Gallois had so much confidence in his heels, that he stood on, regardless of his pursuer.  I thought it best to put a bold face on the matter, knowing that sufficient time might be wasted to enable the sloop of war to get near enough to prevent the privateer from again manning us.  My principal apprehension was, that he might carry us all off, in revenge for what had happened, and set fire to the ship.  Against either of these steps, however, I should offer all the resistance in my power.

It was just ten o’clock when the Polisson ranged up abeam of us the second time, and we hove-to.  It was evident the French recognised us, and the clamour that succeeded must have resembled that of Babel, when the people began first to converse without making themselves understood.  Knowing we had no small boat, Monsieur Gallois lost no time, but lowering a yawl of his own, he came alongside of us in person.  As I had commanded the three Frenchmen to remain below, he found no one on deck but Marble, Diogenes, Neb and myself.

“Parbleu, Monsieur Vallingfort!” exclaimed the privateersman, saluting me very civilly notwithstanding appearances—­“c’est bien extraordinaire!  Vat you do vid me men—­eh!  Put ’em in ze zea, comme avec le Anglais?”

I was spared the necessity of any explanation, by the sudden appearance of my own three prisoners, who disregarded my orders, and came rushing up to their proper commander, open-mouthed and filled with zeal to relate all that had passed.  The whole three broke out at once, and a scene that was sufficiently ludicrous followed.  It was a continued volley of words, exclamations, oaths, and compliments to the American character, so blended, as to render it out of the question that Mons. Gallois could understand them.  The latter found himself obliged to appeal to me.  I gave a very frank account of the whole affair, in English; a language that my captor understood much better than he spoke.