y termed in the midshipmen's berth--
was one of the earliest to put in an appearance after breakfast, and his
first act was to go straight aloft with his glass. He devoted more time
even than Mr Clewline to the examination of the stranger, and it was
not until Captain Brisac had returned to the deck and hailed him that he
made a move.

As he came aft and joined his superior upon the quarter-deck, exultation
was visible in his face, and in every movement of his body.

"It is all right, sir," he exclaimed; "she is French beyond all
possibility of doubt. The cut of her canvas is alone sufficient
evidence of her nationality; but in order that there may be no room for
question of it, she has furled her royals, and has run up the tricolour
to her main-royal-mast-head. She is a brig, as far as I can make out
her rig, coming end-on to us as she is, and seems about our size, or
perhaps a trifle larger. I suppose we may as well clear for action at
once?"

"If you please, Mr Sennitt; and, not to be behindhand with them, let
them see the colour of our bunting before you do anything else."

The order to clear for action was received with enthusiasm; and the
little round ball which immediately soared aloft, breaking abroad and
displaying the naval ensign as it touched the main truck, was greeted
with a rousing cheer. The "green" hands were by this time not quite so
verdant as they had been a few days before, Mr Sennitt having drilled
them most remorselessly at every available opportunity--and as they had
been very judiciously intermingled with the experienced "salts," in
appointing them to their various stations, the work went on with, as
Captain Brisac remarked, "very creditable celerity." In little more
than half an hour, the yards had been slung, bulkheads knocked down, the
magazine opened, guns cast loose, loaded, and run out, and every other
preparation completed.

Meanwhile the two brigs had been slowly drawing together, and by 10 a.m.
were within a couple of miles of each other. There had been a little
manoeuvring on each side to secure the weather-gage; but our skipper,
perceiving that the action was likely to be thereby delayed, speedily
yielded the point, and allowed the Frenchman to take the coveted
position.

"It will make very little difference, five minutes after we are
engaged," he remarked to the first lieutenant, who, after having gone
the rounds and personally seen that everything was ready, had rejoin