ld meet again. The crews of our respective
ships gave three hearty cheers as we separated on our respective
courses. We accompanied the _Mignonne_ for some distance towards the
Mauritius, when several sails were reported in sight from the mast-head.

"I hope that they are enemies!" I heard Trundle thoughtlessly exclaim.
"Glorious fun to have a fight. We, too, should soon give a good account
of them."

Both ships were speedily got ready for action, for in those days it was
difficult to sail far without meeting an enemy. It might be one to be
captured--snapped up in an instant; it might be one of equal or not of
vastly superior size, to be fought bravely, and taken in the end; or,
mayhap, one so much larger that it would be necessary to make all sail
and run away, a proceeding not very often practised in those days by
British naval commanders. It was rather doubtful, however, from the
number and size of the ships in sight, whether we should not find it
necessary to have recourse to the last expedient. We continued,
however, steering as before, and rapidly nearing the strangers, when, to
the relief of the less pugnaciously disposed, first one and then the
others made their number, and we discovered, as we got sufficiently near
to exchange telegraph signals, that they were three frigates--the
_Galatea, Racehorse_, and _Astrea_--on their way to the coast of
Madagascar to look after a French squadron, which, having been driven
away from the Mauritius, had gone in that direction. We should now be a
fair match for the Frenchmen whenever we should meet them. Having put
most of our prisoners well guarded on board the _Mignonne_, we parted
from her, she to continue her passage to the Mauritius, we to accompany
our consorts in search of the enemy.

A bright look-out was now kept for the enemy, and from sunrise to its
setting the mastheads were adorned with eager watchers, each wishing to
be the first one to espy the Frenchmen. However, the lofty mountain
ridges of Madagascar hove in sight before any of them were seen. I had
become very anxious about the fate of the _Barbara_. Had she prosecuted
her voyage to this coast, and fallen in with the enemy? If so, she must
have been captured, and too probably sent away to one of the
settlements. In spite of my advice to O'Carroll, this idea took
complete possession of my mind, and I felt convinced that the voyage
from which so much had been expected would come to nought.