to interfere, with the view of allowing the best
shots to have the first chance.

Some curiously indifferent shooting now ensued, the very eagerness of
the men seeming to render them unsteady. I had strolled forward to
watch the game, and, after several most exasperating misses, exclaimed,
"I should like very much to try; I believe I could do better than that."

"Then try you shall, youngster," said Mr Sennitt; "the first shot a man
ever fires is often a very lucky one, and perhaps yours may be so. You
shall fire the next shot."

While the gun was being loaded, Tompion availed himself of the
opportunity to deliver a short lesson on gunnery, for my especial
benefit, of which all that I remember was that he attached great
importance to the "trajectory," and was eloquent on the subject of the
"parabolic curve."

I had watched with much impatience the very scrupulous nicety with which
most of the men pretended to lay the gun, and I was strongly impressed
with the conviction that over-carefulness had much to do with their
repeated failures; I took very little trouble, therefore, beyond seeing
that the muzzle of the gun had a good elevation, after which I simply
waited, squinting along the sights, until I saw that the weapon was just
about to come in line with the Frenchman's masts, when I pulled the
trigger-line smartly, and was dragged forcibly backwards by the collar,
just in time to avoid a serious blow from the recoiling gun.

I turned angrily round to ascertain what reckless individual it was who
had thus dared to lay unholy hands upon me, when my thoughts were
diverted by a ringing cheer from all hands. My shot had lodged in the
Frenchman's mainmast-head, just above the cap; and, while we still
looked, away went the main-topmast dragging the fore-topgallant-mast
down with it. I received a vast amount of praise for my exploit, but of
course it was merely a lucky shot, with which skill had nothing whatever
to do.

CHAPTER FOUR.

THE FIRST CAPTURE.

After this we rapidly overhauled the chase, and by the time that her
crew had got the wreck cleared out of the way, were once more alongside.

The French crew had ceased firing their stern-chasers upon the fall of
their main-topmast, and it was the opinion of many that they had struck,
their flag coming down with their topmast, and not being re-hoisted; we
therefore ceased firing also, but before we were fairly alongside they
had rigged a small staff out ove