"'Oh, my lord,' said the other, 'she's the very thing; she's a rakish-looking craft, and will do admirably. Any repair we want, a few days will effect; secrecy is the great thing.'
"'Yes,' said the admiral, after a pause, 'as you observed, secrecy is the great thing.'
"'Ho! ho!' thought I, 'there's something in the wind, here;' so I laid myself out upon the anchor-stock, to listen better, unobserved.
"'We must find a crew for her, give her a few carronades, make her as ship-shape as we can, and if the skipper--'
"'Ay, but there is the real difficulty,' said the admiral, hastily; 'where are we to find a fellow that will suit us? We can't every day find a man willing to jeopardize himself in such a cause as this, even though the reward be a great one.'
"'Very true, my lord; but I don't think there is any necessity for our explaining to him the exact nature of the service.'
"'Come, come, Dawkins, you can't mean that you'll lead a poor fellow into such a scrape blindfolded?'
"'Why, my lord, you never think it requisite to give a plan of your cruise to your ship's crew before clearing out of harbor.'
"'This may be perfectly just, but I don't like it,' said the admiral.
"'In that case, my lord, you are imparting the secrets of the Admiralty to a party who may betray the whole plot.'
"'I wish, with all my soul, they'd given the order to any one else,' said the admiral, with a sigh; and for a few moments neither spoke a word.
"'Well, then, Dawkins, I believe there is nothing for it but what you say; meanwhile, let the repairs be got in hand, and see after a crew.'
"'Oh, as to that,' said the other, 'there are plenty of scoundrels in the fleet here fit for nothing else. Any fellow who has been thrice up for punishment in six months, we'll draft on board of her; the fellows who have only been once to the gangway, we'll make the officers.'
"'A pleasant ship's company,' thought I, 'if the Devil would only take the command.
"'And with a skipper proportionate to their merit,' said Dawkins.
"'Begad, I'll wish the French joy of them,' said the admiral.
"'Ho, ho!' thought I, 'I've found you out at last; so this is a secret expedition. I see it all; they're fitting her out as a fire-ship, and going to send her slap in among the French fleet at Brest. Well,' thought I, 'even that's better; that, at least, is a glorious end, though the poor fellows have no chance of escape.'