and
guessed that our men had been outnumbered, and were being chased down to
their boats. In the present darkness we could do nothing to help them;
for even if we could have lowered the guns enough to cover them, our
shot might have hurt them more than the enemy.

Our only hope was in the faint glow of dawn on the horizon, and the
prospect, in a few minutes, of sufficient daylight to work by.
Meanwhile we loaded, and reconnoitred the fort, in readiness for the
moment of action.

Day came at last, and showed us the _Diana_ with the two French ships
close-hauled, trying to keep their weather-gage. Our men ashore were
still hemmed in between the fort and the troops, who, now we came to
look at them, were posted in force behind some earthworks which
commanded the passage from the shore to the fort. One of our boats was
stove in, and the other was in the hands of the enemy.

Without a glass it was hard to read the signals on the _Diana_; but she
must have noticed that the French flag on the fort was down, for we saw
her set her sails and prepare to meet her two assailants in the open.
If she could only get the weather-gage, we would startle the Frenchmen
in a way which would amaze them.

As for our own fellows ashore, a pounding shot from one of our guns,
which we contrived to lower sufficiently to command the earthworks, soon
apprised them what was in the wind, and with a rush they made for the
now friendly fort. The enemy followed, but too slowly to prevent their
entrance. The few shots they sent were wild and high. Only one took
effect, and that, alas! was on my faithful comrade; so that when the
gate was opened, I was the only man left to hand over the fort to his
Majesty's officers.

After that, we made short business of the Republic One and Indivisible
in the island of Chanson. The _Diana_ slipped out cleverly in the
wind's eye, with a broadside a-piece to her opponents, who, when they
found themselves caught between the two fires, thought better of their
enterprise, and tried to get out of it.

Only one of them succeeded; and our fellows spent a merry morning and
afternoon with the other, boarding her and running the king's flag to
the top of her mainmast.

This adventure--though, as I say, I deserved no more credit for it than
the score of gallant fellows who lost their lives--gained me no small
renown; and when presently the _Diana_ was ordered home to British
waters, one of the first pieces of news