e led to feed out of the guns, that they might not
be afraid of them; and they struggled against early prejudice, to like
wood as well as grass, and to get sea-legs. Man put them here to suit
his own ideas; of that they were quite aware, and took it kindly,
accepting superior powers, and inferior use of them, without a shade
of question in their eyes. To their innocent minds it was never brought
home that they were tethered here, and cropping clots instead of
clover, for the purpose of inspiring in their timid friends ashore the
confidence a horse reposes in a brother horse, but very wisely doubts
about investing in mankind. For instance, whenever a wild young animal,
a new recruit for the cavalry, was haled against his judgment by a man
on either side to the hollow-sounding gangway over dancing depth of
peril, these veteran salts of horses would assure him, with a neigh from
the billowy distance, that they were not drowned yet, but were walking
on a sort of gate, and got their victuals regular. On the other hand,
as to the presence of the dogs, that requires no explanation. Was
there ever a time or place in which a dog grudged his sprightly and
disinterested service, or failed to do his best when called upon? These
French dogs, whom the mildest English mastiff would have looked upon,
or rather would have shut his eyes at, as a lot of curs below contempt,
were as full of fine ardour for their cause and country as any noble
hound that ever sate like a statue on a marble terrace.

On the first of October all was ready for this audacious squibbing of
the hornet's nest, and the fleet of investment (which kept its distance
according to the weather and the tides) stood in, not bodily so as to
arouse excitement, but a ship at a time sidling in towards the coast,
and traversing one another's track, as if they were simply exchanging
stations. The French pretended to take no heed, and did not call in a
single scouting craft, but showed every sign of having all eyes shut.
Nothing, however, was done that night, by reason perhaps of the weather;
but the following night being favourable, and the British fleet brought
as nigh as it durst come, the four fire-ships were despatched after
dark, when the enemy was likely to be engaged with supper. The sky was
conveniently overcast, with a faint light wandering here and there, from
the lift of the horizon, just enough to show the rig of a vessel and
her length, at a distance of about a hundr