“No,” the skipper answered.  “Fortunately, I only took a very small share this time.  It’s bad enough to lose my boat; I own two-thirds of her.”

“I am sorry for you,” the officer said, for he was in high spirits at the success of the chase, and could afford to be pleasant.  “Here comes a boat from the frigate.  You played them a rare trick, and might have got off, if it hadn’t been for that lucky shot of ours.

“I see you were just getting out a stern chaser,” and he pointed to the gun.  “It is well for you that you didn’t fire it, as you can’t be charged with armed resistance.”

“I wish I had fired it, for all that.  It might have been my luck to cripple you.”

“It would have made no difference if you had,” the officer replied.  “The frigate would have overhauled you.  With this wind she would sail five feet to your four.”

The boat from the frigate now came alongside.

“How are you, Cotterel?” the officer said, as he stepped on board.  “That was a lucky shot of yours; but I think it’s lucky for the lugger that you hit her, for the captain was so savage, at that trick they played him, that I believe he would have sunk her when he came up to her again.  I heard him say to the first lieutenant, ’I won’t give her a chance to play me such a trick again.’”

“What orders have you brought?” the other asked.

“We are outward bound, so you are to put a crew on board and take her into port; but, as we are very short of hands, we will relieve you of the prisoners.”

All on board the lugger were at once ordered into the frigate’s boat, and were rowed off to the ship.  On gaining the deck, they were drawn up in line, and the captain and first lieutenant came up.  The good humour of the former had been restored by the capture of the lugger.

“Hallo!” he said, looking at the bandaged heads and arms of some of the men, “so you have been having a fight trying to run your cargo, I suppose.  That will make it all the worse for you, when you get on shore.  Now, I might press you all without giving you a choice, but I don’t want unwilling hands, so I will leave it to you.  Which is it to be—­an English prison for two or three years, or a cruise on board the Thetis?”

The greater part of the men at once stepped forward, and announced their willingness to volunteer.

“Who have we here,” the captain asked, looking at the three countrymen.

“They are passengers, sir,” the skipper of the lugger said, with a half smile.

A few questions brought to light the facts of the surprise while the cargo was being landed.

“Well, my lads,” the captain said, “you are in the same boat with the rest.  You were engaged in an unlawful enterprise, and in resisting his majesty’s officers.  You will get some months in prison anyhow, if you go back.  You had better stay on board, and let me make men of you.”

The countrymen, however, preferred a prison to a man o’ war.