om a cutlass. I began to fear that we
should not succeed. It was but for a moment. Harry's voice cheered me
up:--

"At them again, lads!" he shouted; and once more we sprang up the side,
cutting down every one of the Frenchmen within reach of our weapons.
Six or eight of us having gained the deck, the rest followed; and
charging the Frenchmen we drove them aft, killing or wounding everyone
who attempted to withstand us. In less than three minutes the brig was
ours, and the enemy cried out for quarter, even before the other two
boats came up. The men in them not required at the oars jumped on board
to assist in securing the prisoners, the cable was cut, and, while we
were making sail, the boats took the prize in tow; and before the people
in the forts knew what had happened, we were standing away from the
land. We found that six Frenchmen had been killed, and twenty wounded,
some of them pretty badly. We had lost one man, and eight of us were
wounded, Harry in two places, and I in no less than six. As soon as we
got the breeze, we took the boats in tow, and stood towards the frigate.
The captain was highly pleased at the success of the enterprise, and
told Harry that he might be sure of his promotion.

We had been on the point of returning home, and we now made the best of
our way with our prize up Channel. I was not aware, till the doctor
came to overhaul me, how much I had been hurt, and the next day I was
unable to leave my cabin. Harry, who had the cabin of the absent
lieutenant, was also confined to his. As soon as he could, he came to
see me.

"I would willingly have been much more hurt rather than have missed
taking the prize," he said, after he had inquired how I was getting on.
"I hope that Captain Leslie will at least see that I am worth
something."

"No doubt about that, Harry," I answered. "You did well, and I am proud
of you; still be wise, and don't presume on what you have done."

I don't think Harry quite liked my advice; however, he said nothing. I
think that Reginald must have been a little jealous of him, though it
was not his fault that he had not been up in time to board the brig
before we had possession of her; at all events, he did not show what he
felt, and spoke as if he admired Harry more than ever.

As soon as we arrived at Spithead, Harry, Reginald, and I got leave to
go on shore; Harry had by this time nearly recovered, but the doctor
said that I must not expect to be fit