Out Of The Foam

Excerpt from book: personage, clad in plain clothes, like the men, turned and communicated Earle's orders. The men silently stepped from the boat: attached it to a splintered rock by a chain, and followed Earle and Dargonne, who passed back along the narrow path by which Earle had come. Reaching the slope of the headland again toward the interior, Earle went to the thicket in which he had tethered his horse, untied the animal, led him by the bridle, and, followed by the sailors, made a circuit so as to avoid Oldport, and approached "Westbrooke Hall. " The moment has come now, my dear Dargonne," he said to his companion, " to tell you my project. I have not done so before, in obedience to orders. A few words will explain everything. France and England are at war. In America the war has been barbarous, they say, on the part of England, and it seems growing as barbarous here. The English admiralty have issued orders to their cruisers to descend upon the French coast, whenever an opportunity offered, and carry off persons of position and influence to be held as hostages. This policy has been adopted in obedience to the wishes of the English party in power, and this party ialed in Parliament by Viscount Cecil, who made a violent oration urging the policy I speak of. His oration was reported in the English journals; ? these were transmitted to His Majesty, King Loxais; in consequence, the cruisers of Ills Majesty have received orders to retort by descending upon the English coast and carrying off any persons of rank and importance whom they can lay their hands on." Dargonne made a sign that he understood perfectly. " Blow for blow! That is only fair," he said. " Entirely fair, my dear Dargonne; and now to come to the work before us. When I received the general order to laud at any point...