alric," replied Lord Claymore, smiling;
"but observe the true state of the case. The object of going to war
with an enemy is to sink, burn, and destroy his ships at sea, and to do
him all the injury in our power on shore. In a general engagement you
attack his fleet with yours, at the cost of some of your ships, perhaps,
and the loss of many hundreds of your men. If a great victory is
gained, a tenth, or at all events a twentieth, part of the enemy are
killed and wounded. Now, by my plan the lives of very few of our own
people are risked; perhaps no one may be lost; while the ships of the
enemy are entirely destroyed; and though, of course, some of their
people are sacrificed, probably not more are lost than in a general
engagement, while the chances are that the war in consequence is more
speedily brought to a conclusion, and the lives of thousands saved, and
people able to return to their peaceful and useful occupations. Morton,
I look upon war as a terrible curse. The sooner it can be put an end to
the better, but I am very certain that in this instance it can only be
by humbling our proud foes to the very dust. Napoleon will bite till
every tooth in his head is drawn."

Although Morton's reason was convinced by the reasoning of his
enthusiastic captain, his feelings were not entirely satisfied. He,
however, promised to aid him as far as he had the power in carrying out
any project of that description which he might conceive.

The subject was again and again reverted to during the time the frigate
was on the coast, and while he was engaged in the most stirring and
often hazardous operations--such as cutting out vessels, armed and
unarmed, landing and destroying telegraph stations, and storming and
blowing up forts.

Once more the "Pallas" returned to L'Isle d'Aix. The French squadron
was still there.

"We must be at those fellows," exclaimed Lord Claymore, as he walked the
deck, looking towards the enemy with a greedy eye. "We must get them
out somehow or other, if we can. It would have a grand moral effect to
carry off a prize from before their very noses."

Morton was as eager as his chief. There was a soldier's wind, so that
the frigate could stand in or off shore at pleasure.

"This is an opportunity many would rejoice to have; don't let us throw
it away," continued the captain, watching the French ships through his
telescope. They lay at their anchors, seemingly determined not to move
in spit