incts of the quarter-deck, in his shirt-sleeves.

"There it is, Bunting," said Sir Gervaise, handing the lieutenant the
glass; "two hundred and twenty-seven--'a large sail ahead,' if I
remember right."

"No, Sir Gervaise, '_sails_ ahead;' the number of them to follow. Hoist
the answering flag, quarter-master."

"So much the better! So much the better, Bunting! The number to follow?
Well, _we'll_ follow the number, let it be greater or smaller. Come,
sirrah, bear a hand up with your answering flag."

The usual signal that the message was understood was now run up between
the masts, and instantly hauled down again, the flags seen in the Chloe
descending at the same moment.

"Now for the number of the sails, ahead," said Sir Gervaise, as he,
Greenly, and Bunting, each levelled a glass at the frigate, on board
which the next signal was momentarily expected. "Eleven, by George!"

"No, Sir Gervaise," exclaimed Greenly, "I know better than _that_. Red
above, and blue beneath, with the distinguishing pennant _beneath_, make
_fourteen_, in our books, now!"

"Well, sir, if they are _forty_, we'll go nearer and see of what sort of
stuff they are made. Show your answering flag, Bunting, that we may know
what else the Chloe has to tell us."

This was done, the frigate hauling down her signals in haste, and
showing a new set as soon as possible.

"What now, Bunting?--what now, Greenly?" demanded Sir Gervaise, a sea
having struck the side of the ship and thrown so much spray into his
face as to reduce him to the necessity of using his pocket-handkerchief,
at the very moment he was anxious to be looking through his glass. "What
do you make of _that_, gentlemen?"

"I make out the number to be 382," answered Greenly; "but what it means,
I know not."

"'Strange sails, _enemies_,'" read Bunting from the book. "Show the
answer, quarter-master."

"We hardly wanted a signal for _that_, Greenly, since there can be no
friendly force, here away; and fourteen sail, on this coast, always
means mischief. What says the Chloe next?"

"'Strange sails on the larboard tack, heading as follows.'"

"By George, crossing our course!--We shall soon see them from deck. Do
the ships astern notice the signals?"

"Every one of them, Sir Gervaise," answered the captain; "the Thunderer
has just lowered her answering flag, and the Active is repeating. I have
never seen quarter-masters so nimble!"

"So much the better--so much the better--down he