“I can guess what you are thinking about,” Jacques Clery said, taking his place quietly by his side.  “I have been through it all myself and I can guess your feelings.  You are thinking how you can escape.  Now, you take my advice and don’t you hurry about it.  You are doing well where you are.  Now you begin to talk French and understand orders it’s a good deal easier for you than it was, and the men are beginning to regard you as one of themselves; but you may be sure that you will be watched for a time.  You see, they daren’t let you go.  If you were to get to one of the English ports here we should have five or six of your men-of-war after us in no time.

“If it was not for that I don’t suppose the captain would object to put you ashore.  He has evidently taken a fancy to you, and is pleased with the way in which you have taken things and with your smartness and willingness.  Beside, I don’t think he considers you altogether as a prisoner.  Running you down in the way we did in the channel wasn’t like capturing you in a prize, and I think if the captain could see his way to letting you go without risk to himself he would do it.  As he can’t do that he will have a sharp watch kept on you, and I advise you not to be in any hurry to try to escape.  You must remember if you were caught trying it they would shoot you to a certainty.”

“I should be in no hurry at all, Jacques, if it were not that the brig is hunting for English vessels.  You know what you would feel yourself if you were on board a ship that was capturing French craft.”

“Yes, that is hard, no doubt,” Jacques agreed; “and I don’t say to you don’t escape when you get a chance, I only say wait until the chance is a good one.  Just at present we are not specially on the lookout for prizes.  We are going to join two other vessels belonging to the same owners.  They have been out here some time and have got a snug hiding-place somewhere, though I don’t think any one on board except the captain knows where.”

For three weeks the brig cruised among the islands.  They had picked up no prizes in that time, as the captain did not wish to commence operations until he had joined his consorts and obtained information from them as to the British men-of-war on the station.  They had overhauled one or two native craft, purchased fish and fruit, and cautiously asked questions as to the cruisers.  The answers were not satisfactory.  They learned that owing to the numbers of vessels that had been captured by the privateers a very vigilant lookout was being kept; that two or three French craft that had been captured by the cruisers had been bought into the service, and were constantly in search of the headquarters of the privateers.  This was bad news; for although the brig with her great spread of canvas could in light winds run away from any of the ships of war, it was by no means certain she would be able to do so from the converted privateers.