ells with short
fusees, so that they might explode soon after the fire reached them.

"What do you think of that?" asked Lord Claymore. "Woe betide the
unfortunate ship she comes in contact with," he answered. "Not a man of
her crew can escape, I should think."

The "Imperious," with the two explosion vessels, the "Scorpion," and
such of the fire-ships as were ready, sailed for the Bay of Biscay.
They reached the English blockading squadron under Lord Gambier. Many
of the captains were highly indignant at finding one junior to
themselves appointed to so important a charge.

"I hate to see gallant men yield to feelings so contemptible," observed
Lord Claymore. "But let them rail on. He laughs who wins."

If the deed was to be done, no time was to be lost. The time for the
terrific experiment arrived. The French ships lay at their anchors
across the harbour with springs on their cables, in two lines, so placed
that the broadsides of the inner line could be fired clear of the outer
one. The island of Aix, with powerful batteries, guarded them on one
side, that of Oleron, also with strong forts, on the other. To make
their position still more secure, a boom of half a mile in length,
composed of numerous spars, and formed in the shape of an obtuse angle,
was placed in front of them, and secured by anchors and cables of
immense thickness.

The French fleet consisted of twelve line-of-battle ships, a store-ship
of fifty guns, and three frigates, amounting altogether to a number of
guns perfectly capable of sinking the whole British fleet, had they
attempted to force an entrance.

Besides the line-of-battle ships, the French had three frigates placed
as an advanced guard in front of the other lines, and close to the boom.
This boom was, as has been said, composed of a great number of spars
lashed together and floated by large buoys, and was secured in its
position by huge anchors and cables of great thickness. The boom was in
the shape of an obtuse angle, the apex facing out, so that, a vessel
striking it would glance off either on one side or the other.

The object to be attained was, first to force the boom with the
explosion vessels, so as to allow an entrance for the fireships. By
means of these fire-ships it was believed that the whole French squadron
might be destroyed.

The "Scorpion" lay near the "Imperious," and Lord Claymore invited
Ronald to accompany him one night to reconnoitre the enemy's posit