ed leave?"

"Yes."

"What did he say?"

"Said he'd mast-head the next fellow who asked leave to go ashore."

"Strikes me we're off somewhere directly," said Roylance. "Let's send
Belton into the cabin to ask his father what he's going to do."

"I shouldn't like to be Belt then," said Jenkins. "Fancy the captain's
face. Hullo! What's that?"

"Somebody coming on board."

"No! it's up anchor. We're off again."

"What a shame!" was chorussed; but the disappointment was forgotten
directly in eagerness to know their new destination, somewhere else
evidently in the deep blue western sea, and as the _Orion_ was weighing
anchor too, it was likely that they were going to have stirring times.

"Two trim frigates," said Roylance, as they leaned over the taffrail and
watched the beautiful receding shore. "Ah, Belt, if we were to meet
those Mounseers now, I don't think your father would run away."

CHAPTER TWENTY TWO.

The fort of Saint Jacques, in La Haute, looked strong enough to keep
almost any squadron at bay; and as the _Sirius_ lay pretty close in,
those on board could see the French flag flying upon the solid square
citadel, below which, and running out like arms, were outworks which
seemed to bristle with cannon beside the low, cunningly-contrived
batteries on the rocks near the entrance of the harbour.

"A strong place, Bracy," said the captain, "and one where they ought to
be able to sink any vessels we could bring against them."

"Yes, sir, if we went at it hammer-and-tongs, shot for shot."

"Exactly," said the captain, thoughtfully, as he held his glass to his
eye, "and they would have English oak to fire at, while we had to send
our shot against stone. Ye-es, a quiet combined attack some night with
a few hundred determined men in our boats, and we ought to take the
place without firing a shot."

"That's it, sir," said the first lieutenant; "and the only way."

"But I don't like that," said the captain.

"That stone, sir," replied the first lieutenant, as he looked back at an
isolated patch of rock which rose up like the top of a mountain behind
them about four miles astern. "That would be an ugly spot for annoying
us if they had had the gumption to stick a couple of guns there. It
would harass the attack terribly."

"The wonder is, that they have not fortified the rock as an outwork to
their fort."

"Frenchmen don't think of everything, sir," said the lieutenant, dryly.

"We must sei