sent down
for their bags. A hundred and fifty or more had been chosen, about two
hundred were wanted. At last, what was my dismay on hearing my own name
called! It was vain, I knew, to expostulate; I had to submit. Before
going below, I stopped to speak to Hagger. Taking out the almost
finished letter, I begged him to add a postscript, saying how I had been
sent off, but that I trusted I might return before long. Scarcely were
the words out of my mouth when his name was called.

"It can't be helped, Will," he said; "bear up, lad, I'm thankful I'm
going with you. You must try and finish your letter, and send it off
when we get aboard the ship we're ordered to join."

I made no reply, my heart was too full to speak. I wanted to do my
duty, but this disappointment was almost more than I could bear.

"Move on, be smart now, lads!" I heard one of the officers sing out,
"there's not a moment to lose."

Dick and I hurried below, shouldered our bags and returned on deck, when
we found that we were both to go on board the _Galatea_ frigate,
commanded by Captain Keats. The boats immediately shoved off, and away
we pulled down the Sound.

CHAPTER TWENTY TWO.

I FAIL TO SEND A LETTER TO MY WIFE--WE SAIL WITH TRANSPORTS AND
EMIGRANTS FOR QUIBERON--EARLY SUCCESS OF THE EXPEDITION--ACTION BETWEEN
THE ROYALISTS AND REPUBLICANS--I ACCOMPANY A MIDSHIPMAN TO FORT
PENTHIEVRE WITH AN IMPORTANT MESSAGE--I WITNESS SOME STRANGE SCENES--A
ROUGH NIGHT--SURPRISED BY THE REPUBLICANS--ATTACK AND CAPTURE OF THE
FORT--WE ESCAPE--CONDUCT OF THE ROYALISTS--STEADINESS OF THE BRITISH
MARINES--ADVANCE OF THE ARMY UNDER GENERAL HOCHE--THE FLEET RESCUE THE
PARTY--RETURN OF THE EXPEDITION.

The _Galatea_, we found, formed one of a squadron under the command of
Commodore Sir John Warren. It consisted of the _Robust, Thunderer_, and
_Standard_, seventy-fours; the frigates _Pomone_, on board which the
commodore's flag was flying, the _Anson, Artois, Arethusa, Concorde_,
and our frigate the _Galatea_, convoying fifty sail of transports with
about two thousand five hundred French Royalists. The expedition was
bound for Quiberon, the inhabitants of which district had remained
faithful to their king, and it was hoped that from thence the
Republicans could be attacked, and a large part of the country gained
over to the royal cause.

The _Galatea_ was a smart frigate, and now that she was well manned was
likely to make a name for herself.