WILD-FOWLING AFLOAT BY NIGHT 



undetected, we continued our breakfast. Vain hopes, 

 alas ! were these. Hardly had the smoke of our 

 gun cleared away, when several of the Dutchmen 

 clambered up on deck in great alarm. They were 

 only partially attired, and with their long flaxen hair 

 waving in the breeze they presented a very wild 

 appearance. Amid excited gesticulations and a 

 volume of Anglo-Dutch, we gathered that the whole 

 charge of shot had passed close over their heads as 

 they lay asleep below, but, fortunately for us, no 

 personal injury had been inflicted. This welcome 

 information, however, did not relieve the tension of 

 the situation, which soon reached an acute stage. 

 Our first thought was to escape ; but as we saw the 

 Dutchmen had already manned their dinghy to cut 

 off our retreat, it seemed wiser to stay and see the 

 matter through. A long parley with the captain 

 ensued, in the course of which my companion calmly 

 suggested that as the catastrophe was brought about 

 by a pure accident no English Court of Law would 

 award him more than fourpence by way of compensa- 

 tion. I could not repress a smile at the audacity of 

 his contention ; but the captain remained obdurate, 

 and refused to be cajoled by such views of English 

 justice. Eventually a compromise was concluded, 

 satisfaction was given for the damage done, and we 



