ed
him aft, just as the order had been given to the helmsman of the
"Scourge" to "keep away."

"There is one thing which we have not yet done," he continued, "it seems
quite unnecessary, but we may as well avoid all possibility of mistake
by showing the private signal."

The private signal was accordingly shown but evoked, as was expected, no
response. It was consequently hauled down again, and now everybody made
himself finally ready for the impending conflict. My readers will
naturally feel curious to know whether on this, the first occasion of my
"smelling gunpowder," I experienced any sensation of fear. I am old
enough now, and have seen enough of service, to have no misapprehension
of being misunderstood, or rather misjudged; I will therefore confess
the truth, and candidly acknowledge that, for a few minutes after the
completion of our preparations, I felt most horribly frightened. I knew
that I was about to be involved in a scene of death and destruction, of
sickening slaughter, and of even more sickening physical suffering; I
anticipated seeing my fellow-men struck down right and left, their limbs
torn away, and, quite possibly, their bodies cut in two by the cruel
chain-shot; I looked round upon the order and cleanliness which
everywhere prevailed on board our ship, and contrasted the existent
condition of things with the picture which my imagination conjured up of
impending blood and carnage; and I admit that for a few minutes my heart
almost failed me. That state of feeling, however, soon passed away, and
was succeeded by a condition of painful excitement and impatience, which
lasted until the first shot was fired, when it abruptly subsided,
leaving me as cool and collected as I am at the present moment.

I was not too frightened, however, to notice and admire the perfect
_sang-froid_ with which Captain Brisac and Mr Sennitt contemplated the
approach of our antagonist. They stood side by side, just abaft the
main-rigging, scrutinising every movement on board the French ship, and
exchanging critical remarks upon the smartness of her crew in shortening
sail and executing the various manoeuvres usual on board a ship going
into action; and I gathered, with no very comfortable feelings, that,
from what they observed, they quite anticipated a hard fight.

When the ships had approached each other within a quarter of a mile, we
were able, for the first time, to ascertain the actual armament of our
foe. Mr