igged over it, and the gun rolled down,
hauled into its place, and by the time darkness had quite set in, the
fresh one-gun battery was in working order.

"Where's Terry?" said Syd, about this time.

"Sulking," said Roylance, laughing. "What did you say to him? You are
getting an awfully great fellow, Belton, to calm him down like that. I
say, how old are you?"

"Nearly seventeen. Why?"

"Are you sure it isn't a mistake?"

"Quite."

"Because you are going on over this like a fellow of twenty-seventeen.
What do you think one of the men said just now?"

"How should I know?"

"He said that when this little job was over you ought to be promoted and
have a ship of your own, and old Strake turned upon him sharply to say,
`Well, why not?'"

"I? A ship!" laughed Syd; "and this is my first voyage. Why, you have
been three."

"Yes, but then your people have always been sailors, and it's born with
you. My father's a clergyman. Well, when you do have a ship by and by,
if you don't have me for first luff, I'll call you a brute."

"Wait twenty years, then, till I get my ship," said Syd; and he went off
to see to the watch.

CHAPTER FORTY THREE.

That was an anxious night; and after a sort of council of war at the
hospital, in which the lieutenant, Roylance, and Strake took part with
Syd, it was determined to have all ready for a retreat to the upper
battery, and in case that should be taken, provisions and water were to
be carried at daybreak up to the flagstaff, where a breastwork had
already been made, plenty of broken masses of rock lying about to
strengthen it, so that it would be a fresh position for the crew of the
French frigate to attack.

Syd was not at all surprised soon after daybreak--when the men were busy
strengthening the empty battery, and others were building up the
breastwork about the flagstaff and conveying up stores--to see the
frigate coming back in full sail.

There was plenty of excitement as the enemy was seen, and the men
thoroughly realised the fact that the day's work before them would be no
light task.

"Seems to do one more good, though, Master Syd, sir," said Strake, as
they were together alone. "Lying down, and bein' helped, and strapped
and lashed 's all very well, but the sight o' one's nat'ral enemy 'pears
to spurt you up like, and if it had only been a month longer, strikes me
as we should have had the lufftenant helping of us again."

"Have you seen Mr Terry ab