ible, white and bright against the equally clear
blue sky. She was sailing down the galley,

"Have a care, 211," muttered the _galerien_ next to him--"have a care.
If we escape the English ship with life, your existence will be a
greater hell than before for those words!"

211 threw his matted hair back from his eyes with a jerk of his
head--his hands he could not release from the oar--and looked at his
neighbour. He was a man burnt black with the sun, thin, emaciated, and
half starved. On his shoulders, where they caught hourly the cords of
the _comite's_ whip, great scars, and livid--as well as raw--wounds;
yet still young and with handsome features.

"We shall not escape," he replied. "She gains on us each moment.
See!" and as their faces were naturally directed aft of the galley,
they could observe, through the great scuttle by the poops, the
frigate rising larger each instant behind them.

"Better even this than death," said the other. "We know where we are
now, at least--who knows where we shall be? Hist! he returns."

Again the _comite_ ran along the gangway, dealing out more blows and
curses, each of these men getting their share. Then, when the hoarse,
foul voice of the overseer was heard at the other end of the hundred
and eighty feet long galere Grand Reale, No. 211 answered him.

"No," he said, "death is better than this. It is peace at least."

"You seek it--hope for it?"

"Ay," No. 211 replied, "pray for it. Hourly!"

"What was your crime?" his companion asked. They had been chained
together for two days only, the slave whose place the questioner now
filled having been beaten to death, and this, in the excitement of the
impending attack, was their first opportunity of conversing.

"Nothing."

The other grinned. Then he exclaimed, "We all say that."

"Most of us say true."

"It is put about," the other went on, "that you are English yourself,
like our pursuers. Is that true?"

"Partly. Henceforth, if ever I escape, wholly so. That or death,
somehow."

On the _coursier_ there arose more noise and confusion now. The
English frigate was nearing them; they could see with the perspective
glasses her guns being run out on the lower tiers, so as better to
sweep the galley; the course must be altered or their whole larboard
side would be raked when once the frigate was on their beam. Therefore
the chief captain gave his orders for the usual tactics of the galleys
in an engagement to be pursued--t