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22 THE king's YARD
"You are the man I want,"
"And for what, sir, do you
said the lieutenant.
want me?'' asked the
passenger.
"
You are a passenger by this vessel just arrived
from Havre, and you are an American."
" Yes ;
what then " ?
"Why, then," and the English officer turned towards
the marines and made a signal with his hand
—" why, then, you are my prisoner."
" And why > "
" I arrest you, sir, as a deserter."
"
What !
"
The American stepped back, and this time half
drew his
sword.
The master of the vessel, a dapper
little Frenchman,
who had been often enough across the Channel
to understand English, and with the crowd had been
an excited listener to what was going on, here broke in :
" But, monsieur, there is some mistake ;
our
nations are not at war. My passenger has zee passport
of zee king."
The interruption gave the passenger
time to
recover himself, and he said quietly
:
" Yes, sir, you are certainly mistaken. I have a
passport, and — "
The officer shrugged his shoulders. " Will you be
so good as to produce the passport ? "