In the Kings Name | Page 8

himself, but twice settled that. He had too much vitality in his
composition to sleep at abnormal times.
"Hang it all, Billy Waters," he said one day, after a week's sailing up
and down doing nothing more exciting than chasing fishing-luggers
and boarding trading brigs and schooners, "I do wish something would
turn up."
"If something real don't turn up, sir," said the gunner, "I shall be certain
to fire across the bows of a ship, from its always being my habit, sir,
and never hit a mark when I want it."

"Here, hi! hail that fishing-boat," he said; "I've fished till I'm tired, and
can't catch anything; perhaps we can get something of him."
He pointed to a little boat with a tiny sail, steered by its crew of one
man by means of an oar. The boat had been hanging about for some
time after pulling off from the shore, and its owner was evidently
fishing, but with what result the crew of the cutter could not tell.
"He don't want no hailing, sir; he's hailing of us," said Billy.
It was plain enough that the man was manoeuvring his cockleshell
about, so as to get the cutter between it and the shore, and with pleasant
visions in his mind of a lobster, crab, or some other fish to vary the
monotony of the salt beef and pork, of which they had, in Hilary's
thinking, far too much, he leaned over the side till the man allowed his
boat to drift close up.
"Heave us a rope," he said. "Got any fish?"
"Yes. I want to see the captain."
"What for?"
"You'll see. I want the captain. Are you him?"
"No; he's down below."
"I want to see him. May I come aboard?"
"If you like," said Hilary; and the man climbed over the side.
He was a lithe, sunburnt fellow, and after looking at him for a few
moments with a vague kind of feeling that he had seen him before,
Hilary sent a message below, and Mr Lipscombe came up with his
hand before his mouth to hide a yawn.
"Are you the captain?" said the man.
"I command this ship, fellow. What is it?"

"What'll you give me, captain, if I take you to a cove where they're
going to run a cargo to-night?"
"Wait and see, my man. You take us there and you shall be rewarded."
"No, no," said the man laughing; "that won't do, captain. I'm not going
to risk my life for a chance of what you'll give. I want a hundred
pounds."
"Rubbish, man! Ten shillings," said Lipscombe sharply.
"I want a hundred pounds," said the man. "That there cargo's going to
be worth two thousand pounds, and it's coming in a fast large French
schooner from Havre. I want a hundred pounds, or I don't say a word."
A cargo worth two thousand pounds, and a smart French schooner!
That would be a prize indeed, and it made the lieutenant's mouth water;
but he still hesitated, for a hundred pounds was a good deal, perhaps
more than his share would be. But still if he did not promise it they
might miss the schooner altogether, for in spite of his vigilance he
knew that cargoes were being run; so he gave way.
"Very well then, you shall have your hundred pounds."
"Now, captain?"
"Not likely. Earn your wages first."
"And then suppose you say you won't pay me? What shall I do?"
"I give you my word of honour as a king's officer, sir."
The man shook his head.
"Write it down," he said with all the low cunning of his class. The
lieutenant was about to make an angry reply, but he wanted to take that
prize, so he went below and wrote out and signed a memorandum to the
effect that if, by the informer's guidance, the French schooner was
taken, he should be paid one hundred pounds.

Lipscombe returned on deck and handed the paper to the fisherman,
who took it and held it upside down, studying it attentively.
"Now you read it," he said to Hilary; who took it, and read it aloud.
"Yes," said the fellow, "that's it. Now you sign it."
Hilary glanced at his superior, who frowned and nodded his head; and
the young man went below and added his signature.
"That'll do," said the man smiling. "Now look here, captain, as soon as
I'm gone you sail right off out of sight if you can, and get her lying off
the point by about ten o'clock--two bells, or whatever it is. Then you
wait till a small lugger comes creeping off slowly, as if it was going out
for the night with the drift-nets. I and my mates will be aboard that
lugger, and