om.

The shot continued to fall thickly round them, but no one was hit. At
last they got beyond the range of fire.

"Avast pulling!" cried Lord Claymore.

The sound of oars was heard on either hand. It would be impossible to
fight the enemy with any hope of success. Plight was their only
resource. Morton steered for the frigate. The enemy's boats continued
to come after them. Morton kept a look-out for the frigate's light.
The Frenchmen saw at length that the pursuit was useless, and gave it
up. No sooner was this ascertained than Lord Claymore began to talk on
various subjects with as much composure as if they had not just narrowly
escaped losing their lives or liberty.

A strong leading wind was required to execute the project. It came at
last. In the afternoon the boats assembled round the various vessels
destined for the undertaking, which then proceeded towards the stations
allotted to them in readiness for the night, when their operations were
to commence.

It was a solemn time even for the thoughtless, and highly exciting to
the most phlegmatic. To many the undertaking appeared desperate in the
extreme, Ronald had unbounded confidence in the judgment and bravery of
their leader. He had himself volunteered to conduct one of the
fire-ships. Lord Claymore was to lead in the largest explosion vessel.

Two gun-brigs were stationed at each end of the enemy's line, and within
the distance of two miles. They had lights hoisted to guide their
friends, but screened from the enemy. In the centre space between these
two vessels the fire-ships were to be conducted. The "Imperious" and
three other frigates anchored about a gun-shot and a half from the boom
to support the boats accompanying the fire-ships. Five or six
sloops-of-war and brigs were placed near the east end of the island to
make a diversion, while a bomb-vessel and several small craft, supplied
with rockets, took up their stations near the Boyart shoal.

Under the veil of night the vessels took up their stations. The wind,
which was increasing, blew directly into the harbour. In the centre of
the space formed by the two light-vessels, the frigates, and the boom,
were collected the fleet of fire-ships and the explosion vessels.

The awful moment had arrived. The terrific work of destruction was to
begin. The darkness was intense. The two lights on either hand were
the only guides on which those piloting the vessels had to depend. The