The Wing-and-Wing

bay, one s

n saw boats m

nd there a

hed on ma

rowing stopped,

-We'll home! They'

A

ry of the former. No sooner was the young seaman's back turned, than the vice-governatore, who was in a h

er, Milordo Smees, has a large family, and the usages of England are different from those of Italy, in respect to birthright. There, the eldest son alon

stà--"it is most indecent to own it. A priest must be possessed of th

Luterani and us Catholics. The priests of England,

e all I confessed; and the saints could only say what would be the end on't. Porto Ferrajo

nfess, and are never shrive

they expect, then, e

gether distinct from the ancient Gauls, both in history and character. Pietro Giannone, in his Storia, Civile del Regno di Napoli, speaks of the Normans, who were a branch of these adventurers, with great interest and particularity; and I think I can trace in this y

at that moment, holding in his hand a piece of p

the honor of an audience, and who sends in his na

of paper and read aloud: "Edward Gr

communication, friend Vito; it is fortunate you are still her

round, good-natured face, wearing an undress coat of the service to which he professed to belong, and whose whole air and manner betrayed his profession quite as much as his country. The salutations he uttered were in ver

ill perceive by that commission I am

belong to ze Ving-y-Ving and a

e time half disposed to laugh, though a sense

this morning, has sent me down in the felucca that got in this evening to communicate intelligence concerning the lugger which we chased to the southward about nine o'clock, but which, I see, i

o summon them away for their misdeeds. Lieutenant Griffin spoke unusually good Italian for a foreigner, an

ze Ving-y-Ving?" demanded the

ignore. Ving-y-Ving is not English

y this assertion, which implied a doubt

I comprehend your meaning, th

I have ever heard spoken, at sea or ashore

ask you what is the translatio

he laughed involuntarily, checking himself almos

have a sea-phrase something like this, to describe a fore-and-aft vessel

is the name of the lugger of you

at we have six cruisers in chase of at this moment, our own ship included. She is called le Feu-Follet, which is not Wing-and-Wing, but Will-o'-the-Wisp, or Jack-o'-Lantern, in English; and which you, in Ital

ter war had blackened nearly to the hues of piracy. The thought that he had been the dupe of this corsair--nay, that he had actually been entertaining him with honors and hospitality, within an hour--was almost too much for h

of Milordo Smees; and though his education has been in a trifling degree neglected, he shows his origin and national character in all he says and does. Ze Ving-y-Ving is commanded by Sir

rs anywhere. In the Mediterranean we have no cruiser of this rig at all; and the two or three we have elsewhere are commanded by old sea-dogs who have been brought up in that sort of craft. As for Sirs, they are scarce out here, though the battle of the Nile has made a few of them f

all these matters. But, while the Vice-governatore did not understand more than half of the other's meaning, that half sufficed to render him exceedingly unea

manded Andrea; "you have been presen

have been deceived at all, vice-governatore. Last evening I would have believed this; but since the e

r Tenente; and that is proof

n port; but the answer we got was nonsense; and then we remembered to have heard that this Raoul Yvard was in the habit of playing such tri

mander of the lugger--or to go on board of her and satisfy yourself with your own ey

isk. Then as to letting Yvard know of my presence here, it would just give him the alarm, and cause us to lose the bird before we can spring the net. My orders are positive, not to let any one bu

e assured of her being an enemy," returned the vice-governatore, with a little pride and

him here, I was to get a horse and ride across to the latter place and make my arrangements there. We wish by all means to get possession of the lugger, which, in smooth water, is the fastest craft in the Mediterranean, and would be of infinite service to us. We think the Proserpine would prove too much for her, blowing fresh; but in moderate weather she will go six feet to our five

er expressing an intention of passing several days with us; and it is this ease and confidence of his which cause me to thi

is certain he has cut several valuable store-ships out of our convoys. There is an Austrian loading with iron, I perceive, i

aracter, Signor Tenente, than the commission you have shown me? for Sir Smees, as I have been taught to call the commander of the lugger, has one,

which, if wanting, might throw a distrust on all other proofs. But here is a communication from your superior at Florence, recommending us to the kindness of the

oubt; and it was not possible to distrust the party that presented them. This was a great deal toward convicting the Signore Smees of impositi

escription at least, and most of them by sight. This is none; and everything about her, particularly her sailing,

es, after all, for an arrant rogue; for this is the very man we met at

l themselves Americans, in order to escape serving his Majesty. I rather think this rascal is a Cornish or a Devonshire man; he has the twang and the nasal sing-song of that part of the island. If an American, howe

a very inferior sort of people to us Europeans, generally, and

skly; "they are all you think them; and any one can see that at

s I understand from this Ithuello, frequently contrary to t

l his own seamen; and, in the hurry of impressing, we sometimes make a mistake. Then, these

bably because he ascertained that the young lieutenant was only using what might be termed a national argument; the English Government constantly protesting that it was impossible to disting

to render them willing assistants in executing the schemes of Captain Cuffe. It was, perhaps, fortunate for Raoul and his associates that the English officers had so strong a desire, as Griffin expressed it, "to take the lugger alive"; else might she have been destroyed where she lay by remo

o Griffin. The young man took his station at it about midnight, in readiness to burn the blue-lights with which he was provided the instant he should discern the signals of his ship. The position of this window was well adapted to the desired object, inasmuch as the lights could not be seen from the town, whil

d-like promontory of Monte Argentaro, the point where stood the watch-towers of which Carlo was the keeper, and in one of which he resided. Under these circumstances, therefore, it is not surprising that the rising of the land-breeze was overlooked, or at least disregarded; and that Raoul sat conversing with Ghita on deck until long past midnight, ere he allowed her to seek her little cabin, where everything had been properly arranged for her reception. To own the truth, Raoul was so confident of having completely mystified all on shore that he felt n

who was attached to her--the king whose colors she wore and the nation whose interest she served. An active hatred is the most restless of all passions; and this feeling made Ithuel keenly alive to every chance which might still render the fri

uffled oars toward the eastern part of the bay. When sufficiently distant from the town to escape observation, he changed his course, and proceeded directly out to sea. Half an hour sufficed to

ion to the frigate that Griffin had arrived, and was actively on duty. It was now two o'clock, or an hour or two before the appearance of light, and the breeze off the adjoining continent was sufficiently strong to force a good sailing vessel, whose canvas had been thickened by the damps

throwing out a clear, strong flame; when suddenly a blue-light flashed beneath the place, and he got a momentary glimpse of the body of the man who held it, as he leaned forward from another window. The motion which now turned his head s

on of the spot where this transient gleam of brightness had disappeared--"I know y

this signal with wonder; the frigate noted it with embarrassment, for it was far to seaward of the lamp; and even 'Maso conceived it necessary to quit his station in order to report the circumstance to the colonel, whom he was to call in the event of any unusual occurrenc

when close under the citadel or out of sight of the town, the sentinels above hearing the flaps of her canvas, without exactly understanding whence they came. At this instant Ithuel let off a second rocket, and the lugger showed a light on her starboard bow, so concealed, however, on all sides but one, as to be visible only in the direction of the boat. As this was done she put her helm hard down and hauled her fore-sheet over flat to windward. Five minutes later Ithuel had reached her deck, and the boat was hauled in as if it had been inflated silk, Deceived by the second rocket, the Proserpine now made her number with regular signal lanterns, with the intention of obtaining that of the stranger, trusting that the promontory would conceal it from the vessels in the bay. This told Ra

ction from the town. Of course she was far beyond the danger of missiles from the land. The night wind, however, had now failed, and there was every appearance that the morning would be calm. In this there was nothing extraordinary at that season; the winds which prev

to get another sight of a craft so renowned for evading the pursuit of all the English cruisers of those seas. A few minutes later Griffin came off, chopfallen and disappointed. His first glance at the countenance of his superior announced a coming storm; for the commander of a vessel of war is no more apt to be reasonable under di

ut offering him a seat--"here we are; and out yonder two or three leagues at sea is the

t be helped. We got in in proper time; and I went to work with the deputy-governor and an old chap of a magistrate who was with him, as soon as I could get up to the ho

litan born; and I depended on your do

, biting his lip. "After an hour of pretty hard and lawyer-like work, and overhauling all the documen

lifted his anchor and walked out of the bay as if he were just

d. As soon as I had satisfied the Sig

eak English, Griffin, on board an English ship, if you please, even should your Ital

ugger was an enemy, and that we were friends, everything went: smoo

or three heavy shot would have given h

uld tell so well for the ship to have it to say she had caught le Feu-Follet, that I opposed

ll, sir, even if you didn't sink her it

Porto Ferrajo, as everybody will tell you, sir; and I made the signals of the lamp and the blue-lig

ook them to be signals of their presence from the Weasel or the Sparrow. When I saw those

as the first one was thrown, Master Yvard tripped his kedge and went out of the bay

urned the captain, putting himself in a better humor w

cks so close in that you might have jumped aboard her; and it was too late to stop her

" demanded

ickname we give these siesta-ge

to me in English, Mr. Griffin. That is a language which I flatter

'm sure, I am sorry I can speak Itali

heart that comes wrong end foremost. Dine with me