ployment, had been
appointed boatswain of a line-of-battle ship, the "Lion," which, it was
expected, would be sent out to the East India station.

Ronald Morton loved and honoured his father too well not to feel
pleasure at the thoughts of meeting him; at the same time he wished that
he could have retired and remained on shore till he could join him.

Without further adventure the frigate came off Bombay.

"The Indiaman you were on the look-out for must have arrived before us,"
observed Captain Calder, pointing to a large ship which lay in the
roads.

With a beating heart Ronald watched her as they drew near; but as the
"Thisbe" dropped her anchor at a short distance off, he saw that he was
mistaken. The "Osterley" had not arrived, and considerable alarm was
expressed by those who had been expecting her.

CHAPTER TWENTY TWO.

"THISBE" IN SEARCH OF THE "OSTERLEY"--A CHASE--THE "OSTERLEY"
OVERTAKEN--FOUND IN POSSESSION OF THE FRENCH--RETAKEN--THE PASSENGERS
NOT ON BOARD--MORTON PLACED IN COMMAND OF THE "OSTERLEY"--THE UNKNOWN
ISLAND--OLD DOULL ACTS AS PILOT.

The non-arrival of the "Osterley" at Bombay created considerable anxiety
in all those who had friends on board, or who were otherwise interested
in her in their feelings or purses. At length the fears for her safety
became so great that Captain Calder was requested to sail in search of
her. No one received with more satisfaction the announcement that the
ship was to put to sea than did Ronald Morton; at all events he would be
doing the only thing in which he could now take an interest. His heart
had been tortured with a thousand fears as to the fate of one whom he
had discovered that he ardently loved. Had nothing unusual occurred it
probably would have taken him much longer to ascertain the true state of
his heart: misfortune has a wonderful power of testing the feelings and
revealing their condition.

Neither Rawson nor Sims could make him out, they agreed.

"What can have come over the poor fellow?" said the latter. "The
climate does not agree with him; he should go home invalided."

Glover might have suspected the true state of the case, but he kept his
counsel to himself.

The "Thisbe" overhauled every vessel she fell in with, and made
inquiries at numerous places as she ran down the coast, but nothing was
to be heard of the "Osterley." She rounded Ceylon, and stood across the
Indian Ocean. Ronald Morton had kept a sharp look-out for any