nswers,
and he seemed satisfied. He rapidly devoured his food, and was
evidently in a hurry to be on deck again. This made me fancy that he
was not quite so certain of having escaped the frigate as I had at first
supposed. A glass of hot wine and water raised my spirits, for I had
been so long in my wet clothes, that, although the weather was warm, I
had become very chilly. Without asking his leave, I handed a glass to
Toby, who wanted it as much as I did. The captain said nothing, but
when he got up to go on deck, he told me that we might take off our
clothes, and turn into one of the berths to get warm. At first I was
going to do so, but I could not help fancying that some accident might
happen, and that I would rather be dressed, so I sat down with Toby on
the deck, holding on by the legs of the table.

The steward, having stowed away the things, went and lay down in his
corner, and soon, by his loud snores, showed that he was again fast
asleep. Toby quickly followed his example; and I had been dozing for
some time, though I thought that I was awake, when I was aroused by the
report of a gun overhead. The lamp had gone out, and left a strong
odour of oil in the close cabin. The grey light of dawn streamed down
the companion-hatch. Calling Toby, I jumped on deck. There, away to
leeward, was the frigate, within gun-shot distance, but this time the
lugger had begun the fight, and she had not yet fired. The wind had
lessened, and the sea had gone down considerably. The frigate was on
our lee-quarter, and I saw that, as soon as she opened her fire, our
chance would be a very small one.

The French captain, and his officers and men, had got two guns over the
quarter, having cut away some of the bulwarks, and were energetically
working them, with desperation stamped on their countenances. Toby and
I stood, as before, holding on to the companion-hatch, and this time--I
must confess it--my teeth, as well as his, chattered with the cold, and
damp, and agitation. No one took any notice of us. The Frenchmen were
again aiming high, in the hope of knocking away some of the frigate's
spars. They were brave fellows: I could not help admiring them. Shot
followed shot in rapid succession. I wondered that Captain Collyer's
patience was not exhausted.

"There! I know'd they'd do it," exclaimed Toby, suddenly. "And catch
it if they did!" he added.

As he spoke I saw a white splinter glance from the fore-topmast o