e young officer had had a good
inspection of the lugger, Billy came back with his left thumb trying the
edge of the sword.

"I wouldn't be too hard on 'em, sir," he said, with mock respect.

"What do you mean, Billy?"

"Don't take off too many Frenchies' heads, sir; not as they'd know it,
with a blade like that."

"Are we gaining on her, Leigh?" said the lieutenant.

"Just a little, sir, I think; but she creeps through the water at an
awful rate."

The lieutenant looked up at the white sails, but nothing more could be
done, for the _Kestrel_ was flying her best; and the water bubbled and
sparkled as she cut her way through, leaving an ever-widening train
behind.

There was no chance of more wind, and nothing could be done but to hold
steadily on, for, at the end of half an hour, it was plain enough that
the distance had been slightly reduced.

"However do they manage to make those luggers sail so fast?" exclaimed
the lieutenant impatiently. "Leigh, if this turns out to be another of
your mares' nests, you'll be in disgrace."

"Very well, sir," said the young man quietly.

And then to himself: "Better make some mistake than let the real thing
slip by."

The arms were not served out, for that would be but a minute's task; but
an arm chest was opened ready, and the men stood at their various
stations, but in a far more lax and careless way than would have been
observed on board a larger vessel, which in its turn would have been in
point of discipline far behind a vessel of the present day.

The gulls and kittiwakes rose and fell, uttering their peevish wails; a
large shoal of fish fretting the radiant surface of the sea was passed
and about a dozen porpoises went right across the cutter's bow, rising
and diving down one after the other like so many black water-boys,
playing at "Follow my leader;" but the eyes of all on board the
_Kestrel_ were fixed upon the dingy looking _chasse maree_, which
apparently still kept on trying hard to escape by its speed.

And now the time, according to Billy Waters' judgment, having come for
sending a shot, he stood ready, linstock in hand, watching the
lieutenant, whose one eye was gazing intently through the long
leather-covered glass.

"Fire!" he said at last. "Well ahead!"

The muzzle of the piece was trained a little more to the right, the
linstock was applied, there was a puff of white smoke, a heavy deafening
roar; and as Hilary Leigh gazed in the direction of t