I was still musing on the purport of this remark, when I heard the noise of a boat coming alongside.  Putting my head out of the port, I could just see that the prize, master of the French ship had come on board, and that Marble and Neb were two of the four men who pulled the oars.  Marble saw me, and gave a sign of recognition, though it was so dark as to render it difficult to distinguish objects at a trifling distance.  This sign I returned in a significant manner.  It was this answering signal from me, that induced my mate not to quit the boat, and to keep Neb with him.  The other two men were so accustomed to do duty with the Americans, that they did not scruple to run up the frigate’s side, after their officer, eager to get a gossip with their old mess-mates on the berth-deck.  Almost at the same instant the officer of the deck called out—­

“Drop la Manerve’s boat astern, out of the way of the captain’s gig, which will be hauling up in a minute.”

This was on the larboard side, it is true; but a smart sea slapping against the starboard.  Lord Harry was willing to dispense with ceremony, in order to escape a wet jacket.  I cannot tell the process of reasoning that induced me to take the step I did; it was, however, principally owing to the remark I had so lately heard, and which brought all the danger of my position vividly to my mind.  Whatever may have been the moving cause, I acted as follows: 

My irons were slipped, and I squeezed myself between the gun and the side of the port, where I hung by my hands, against the ship’s side.  I might be seen, or I might not, caring little for the result.  I was not seen by any but Marble and Neb, the former of whom caught me by the legs, as he passed beneath, and whispering to me to lie down in the bottom of the boat, he assisted me into the cutter.  We actually rubbed against the captain’s gig, as it was hauling up to the gangway; but no one suspected what had just taken place.  This gig was the only one of the Speedy’s boats that was in the water, at that hour, it having just been lowered to carry the captain ashore.  In another minute we had dropped astern, Neb holding on by a boat-hook to one of the rudder-chains.  Here we lay, until the gig pulled round, close to us, taking the direction toward the usual landing, with the captain of the Speedy in her.

In two minutes the gig was out of sight, and Marble whispered to Neb to let go his hold.  This was promptly done, when the boat of the prize began to drift from the ship, swept by a powerful tide, and impelled by a stiff breeze.  No one paid any heed to us, everybody’s thoughts being occupied with the shore and the arrival at such a moment.  The time was fortunate in another particular:  Lord Harry Dermond was a vigilant and good officer:  but his first-lieutenant was what is called on board ship “a poor devil;” a phrase that is sufficiently significant; and the moment a vigilant captain’s back is turned, there is a certain ease and neglect in a vessel that has an indifferent first-lieutenant.  Every one feels at liberty to do more as he pleases, than has been his wont; and where there is a divided responsibility of this nature, few perform more duty than they can help.  When “the cat is away, the mice come out to play.”