captain made a slight change in his
position; and as they watched they saw two fresh boats lowered and row
away, and then they were recalled.

Then came a long spell of waiting in miserable inaction till toward
sunset, when the two boats put out again, spent a little time sounding
close up to the rocks where Roylance was rescued, and were again
recalled.

"What does that mean, sir?" said Syd, as he told all this to the
lieutenant, who, as he lay helpless, eagerly listened to every word.

"I don't quite see, my lad," he said. "A trick, probably, to take off
your attention. But be well on your guard, for, depend upon it, they
will try to surprise you to-night, and come prepared with ladders of
some kind for the escalade."

CHAPTER FORTY FOUR.

The night was brilliant starlight, and the strictest watch was kept, but
hour after hour went by, and there was not a sound; no dark shadow
creeping over the water from the frigate, which lay anchored, with her
lights showing reflections on the smooth sea.

Everything was in readiness to give the enemy a good reception if they
came, and in spite of his weakness, the boatswain rose from where he lay
on a folded-up sail beside one of the heaps of ball, to see if the light
in the lanthorn by his head was burning, and handy for the slow matches
to fire the guns.

"That there swab has gone down into his old hole by the water, sir, so
as to save his skin," said Strake, on one of the occasions when Syd was
going his rounds, "and here he might be o' no end of use saving his poor
father. You won't say I arn't to use the rope's-end arter this, sir."

"Hadn't you better go up to the hospital and lie down, Strake?" replied
Syd; "you are tired out."

"So are you, sir: so's all on us. But if I went and had a caulk just
when the enemy might come, what should I say arterwards when I met the
skipper?"

"But your injuries are such as sent you into hospital."

"Where I warn't going to stay, sir. Been up to the flagstaff, sir?"

"I have just come from there, and I have been with Mr Roylance, and had
a talk with Mr Dallas. All's well."

"Seems well, Mr Syd, sir," whispered the boatswain, so as not to be
heard by the men; "but I'm sure all aren't well. They're trying to
dodge us, sir, and you see if they don't come and board us just afore
daylight, when they think we're asleep. Tell them chaps at the look-out
to keep their eyes open, and be on the kwe weave, as the Frenchies