ctice.

No doubt, his amiable purpose in bringing me to his den was to frighten
me, and enjoy my fright. Be that as it may, I took the matter as coolly
as the heat of the place would permit me. The first lesson in bravery
is to assume the appearance of it; the second, to sustain the
appearance; and third will find you with all that courage "that doth
become a man."

By noon we had a staggering breeze. We could now perceive that we were
chasing a large corvette, though from the end-on view we had of her, we
could not count her ports. The _Eos_ seemed to fly through the water.

At one o'clock the spars began to complain--preventer braces were rove,
but no one thought of shortening sail.

At two o'clock we had risen the _Jean Bart_, so as to clear her
broadside from the water's edge as seen from our decks. The appetites
of the doctor and purser had risen in proportion. They made a joint and
disconsolate visit to the galley. All the fires were put out. The hens
were cackling and the pigs grunting in dark security among the water
casks. Miserable men! there was no prospect of a dinner. They were
obliged to do detestable penance upon cold fowl and ham, liquified with
nothing better than claret, burgundy, and the small solace derivable
from the best brandy, mixed with filtrated water in most praiseworthy
moderation.

At three o'clock we had the _Jean Bart_ perfectly in sight, and we
could, from the foreyard, observe well the motions of those on deck.
The master was broiling his very red nose over his sextant in the
forestay sail netting, when it was reported that the Frenchman was
getting aft his two long brass bow chasers; and in half an hour after,
we had the report from the said brass bellowers themselves, followed by
the whistling of the shot, one wide of the ship, but the other smack
through our foresail, and which must have passed very near the nose of
our respectable master.

Most of the officers, myself with the rest, were standing on the
forecastle. Though not the first shot that I had seen fired in anger,
it certainly was the first that had ever hissed by me. This first
salute is always a memorable epoch in the life of a soldier or sailor.
By the rent the shot made in the foresail, it could not have passed more
than two yards directly over my head. I was taken by surprise.
Everybody knows that the rushing that the shot makes is excessively
loud. As the illustrious stranger came on board with so m