but which, from certain phrases they let fall, he suspected to be Portuguese.  Our hero paid no great attention to them, till by-and-by he became aware that they had fallen to whispering together and were regarding him very curiously.  He felt himself growing very uneasy under this observation, which every moment grew more and more particular, and he was just beginning to suspect that this interest concerning himself might have somewhat more to do with him than mere idle curiosity, when one of the men, who was plainly the captain of the party, suddenly says to him, “How now, messmate; won’t you come and have a drop of drink with us?”

At this address Barnaby instantly began to be aware that the affair he had come upon was indeed no jest, as he had supposed it to be, but that he had walked into what promised to be a very pretty adventure.  Nevertheless, not wishing to be too hasty in his conclusions, he answered very civilly that he had drunk enough already, and that more would only heat his blood.

“Well,” says the stranger, “I may be mistook, but I believe you are Mr. Barnaby True.”

“You are right, sir, and that is my name,” acknowledged Barnaby.  “But still I cannot guess how that may concern you, nor why it should be a reason for my drinking with you.”  “That I will presently tell you,” says the stranger, very composedly.  “Your name concerns me because I was sent here to tell Mr. Barnaby True that ’the Royal Sovereign is come in.’”

To be sure our hero’s heart jumped into his throat at those words.  His pulse began beating at a tremendous rate, for here, indeed, was an adventure suddenly opening to him such as a man may read about in a book, but which he may hardly expect to befall him in the real happenings of his life.  Had he been a wiser and an older man he might have declined the whole business, instead of walking blindly into that of which he could see neither the beginning nor the ending; but being barely one-and-twenty years of age, and possessing a sanguine temper and an adventurous disposition that would have carried him into almost anything that possessed a smack of uncertainty or danger, he contrived to say, in a pretty easy tone (though God knows how it was put on for the occasion): 

“Well, if that be so, and if the Royal Sovereign is indeed come in, why, then, I’ll join you, since you are so kind as to ask me.”  Therewith he arose and went across to the other table, carrying his pipe with him, and sat down and began smoking, with all the appearance of ease he could command upon the occasion.

At this the other burst out a-laughing.  “Indeed,” says he, “you are a cool blade, and a chip of the old block.  But harkee, young gentleman,” and here he fell serious again.  “This is too weighty a business to chance any mistake in a name.  I believe that you are, as you say, Mr. Barnaby True; but, nevertheless, to make perfectly sure, I must ask you first to show me a note that you have about you and which you are instructed to show to me.”