the coming of the following day and the attack that was to be made
upon the second leak where the ball from the fort had made its exit on
the other side nearer the keel.

CHAPTER THIRTY EIGHT.

A PROPOSED ADVENTURE.

It was a busy and an anxious day. The brig's guns had been carefully
ran to starboard and firmly lashed, and the yards lowered down, her
topmasts struck, and all made ready for laying her right over in the mud
at low water, so that her spars should be upon the shore.

"It wouldn't do to lay her over like this," said the skipper gruffly,
"if she were full of cargo. It would mean a bad shifting. But I think
we can manage, and I'll risk it. We can easily start her water casks."

There was no question of shooting that day, Rodd preferring to stay with
his French friend; and the doctor seemed to quite share the Count's
anxiety as they watched the proceedings of the sailors while the tide
went down.

But everything went on admirably. As the water sank a steady strain was
kept upon the cables, and by slow degrees the brig careened over towards
the land till the newly-repaired side sank lower and lower, and she lay
more and more over, till at last the water that had flooded the hold
began to flow out with the tide till the beautiful vessel lay perfectly
helpless upon her side, with the whole of her keel visible upon the long
stretch of mud. Then Captain Chubb, taking hold of a rope which he had
made fast to the larboard rail, climbed over on to the brig's side, and
steadying himself by the cord, walked right down and stood shaking his
head at the ghastly wound which the vessel had received.

For after passing right through the hold, the cannon ball had struck
upon and shattered one of what are technically called the ship's knees,
ripping off a great patch of the planking and tearing through the copper
sheathing, which was turned back upon the keel, making a ragged hole
several times the size of the fairly clean-cut orifice by which the shot
had entered.

"You had better come and have a look here, Count," cried the captain--an
invitation which was accepted by several of those interested, and in a
very short time an anxious group was gathered round the vessel's injury.

"Well, sir," said the skipper, in his rough, brusque way; "what do you
say to that?"

"Horrible!" groaned the Count. "My poor vessel!" And he looked at the
captain in despair.

"Well, sir," said the latter, "if anybody had to