terwards be better able to deal with them. Still
there was the line-of-battle ship, and she would be down upon us before
long. A French prison in very vivid colours stared even the bravest of
our men in the face. The officers were looking at their watches.
Within little more than half-an-hour, unless we could get a breeze, we
should be hotly engaged, and then, unless we could beat our enemy in ten
minutes, there would be little prospect of getting away. On she came
over the blue ocean. Looking at the land, we could see a line, as it
were, drawn between us. On our side the water was smooth as a mirror;
on the other, still crisped by the fresh breeze, and glittering in the
sunlight. It was very tantalising. On the leading Frenchman came,
faster and faster. Still the breeze did not touch our sails. At length
we could clearly count her ports, and she appeared in the pure
atmosphere even nearer than perhaps she was. Suddenly she yawed. A
white puff of smoke was seen, and a shot came whizzing across our bows.
Another followed. It struck us, and the yellow splinters were seen
flying from our sides. The men stood at their quarters ready to begin
the fight.

"Not a gun is to be fired till I give the order," cried the Captain.

"That will not be long, I fancy," I heard one of the men say, as I with
other boys brought up the powder from below.

The frigate still held the breeze and was approaching. Yet our Captain
let her get nearer and nearer. In vain, however, our people waited for
the order to fire. Several more shots came flying over the water, and
the Frenchmen seemed now convinced that they had got us well within
range. Suddenly luffing up, the enemy fired her whole broadside. The
shot came flying about us, but did no great damage.

"Trim sails!" cried the Captain, and we edged away towards the blue line
I have mentioned, the wind just then filling out our canvas. Meantime
the Frenchman remained involved in a cloud of smoke. Again and again
she fired her broadside, only hiding herself more completely from view;
while her sails, which had hitherto been full, were now seen to flap
against her masts, and away we went with an increasing breeze. We could
just see the line-of-battle ship hull down on one side, and the two
frigates and corvette becalmed on the other, utterly unable to move,
while we were slipping through the water at the rate of seven or eight
knots an hour.

"I thought it would be so!" e