o
destroy. In the end, Sir Frederick prevailed, his rank giving him a
decided advantage; and the division of boats that was now approaching
was under his orders.

Raoul saw he had rather more than an hour to spare. To fight the
felucca, unsupported, against so many enemies, and that in a calm, was
quite out of the question. That small, low craft might destroy a few of
her assailants, but she would inevitably be carried at the first onset.
There was not time to get the ballast and other equipments into the
lugger, so as to render her capable of a proper resistance; nor did even
she offer the same advantages for a defence, unless in quick motion, as
the ruins. It was determined, therefore, to make the best disposition of
the two vessels that circumstances would allow, while the main
dependence should be placed on the solid defences of stone. With this
end, Ithuel was directed to haul his felucca to a proper berth; the
first lieutenant was ordered to get as much on board le Feu-Follet as
possible, in readiness to profit by events; while Raoul himself,
selecting thirty of his best men, commenced preparing the guns on the
rocks for active service.

A single half-hour wrought a material change in the state of things.
Ithuel had succeeded in hauling the felucca into a berth among the
islets, where she could not easily be approached by boats, and where her
carronades might be rendered exceedingly useful. Much of the ballast was
again on board the lugger, and a few of her stores, sufficient to render
her tolerably stiff, in the event of a breeze springing up; and Raoul
had directed the two inside guns of the felucca to be sent on board her
and mounted, that she might assist in the defence with a flanking fire.
The great difficulty which exists in managing a force at anchor is the
opportunity that is given the assailant of choosing his point of attack,
and, by bringing several of the vessels in a line, cause them to
intercept each other's fire. In order to prevent this as much as in his
power, Raoul placed his two floating-batteries out of line, though it
was impossible to make such a disposition of them as would not leave
each exposed, on one point of attack, in a degree greater than any
other. Nevertheless, the arrangement was so made, that either a vessel
or the ruins might aid each craft respectively against the assault on
her weakest point.

When his own guns were ready, and the two vessels moored, Raoul visited
both the