drive these Frenchmen below, as we promised them.
All of you follow me!" and, led by the lieutenant and Dick, the English
crew threw themselves on the lugger's deck, trusting rather to their
cutlasses and stout arms than to any other weapons.

Voules, with those who had remained on the cutter's forecastle, now
gained a footing on the fore part of the lugger's deck. Her crew fought
bravely, but besides their big officer, many of them were cut down.
Inch by inch the lieutenant and his men made their way forward, until
the quarter-deck was cleared, the Frenchmen being either killed or
wounded, or driven down the main-hatchway or overboard. One of their
officers alone remained alive, and, seeing that all hope of gaining the
victory was lost, he shouted out "We surrender!" Dick, who knew the
meaning of the cry, repeated it in English, and running aft to the peak
halliards, quickly hauled down the Frenchman's ensign.

"Well done, my lad!" cried Lieutenant Mason. "I'll not forget you."

The Frenchmen, who had hitherto kept their cutlasses in their hands,
threw them on the deck, asking for quarter for themselves and their
companions below. Their officer, coming aft, surrendered his sword.
Those below now being called up one by one, were transferred to the
cutter's hold, and Mr Voules, with eight men, including Dick Hargrave,
was sent on board the lugger to navigate her into Plymouth.

"You will keep close to me, Mr Voules," said Lieutenant Mason, "for I
have as many prisoners on board as I can well manage, and should they be
disposed to rise upon us they might succeed if we don't keep a bright
look-out."

The French privateersmen were indeed a very rough-looking set of
fellows. By the way they had fought they showed that they were capable
of daring and doing any act of violence. Although nearly twenty had
been killed or wounded, they still far outnumbered the cutter's crew,
now reduced by three killed and five wounded, as well as by those sent
on board the lugger.

The two vessels were soon separated, though they kept as close as they
could together. Voules and his men had enough to do, heaving the dead
overboard and attending to the wounded, while they had to wash down the
bloodstained decks. Some of the rigging, too, required knotting and
splicing, and several shot-holes had to be plugged in the vessel's side.
It was the first command Voules had ever enjoyed, and he walked the
deck with his spyglass under his a