The boom of a gun, muffled by the roar of the gale, but still heard with
sufficient distinctness to render the sound unmistakable, at that moment
broke upon the ear.

I pulled out my watch and noted the time. "Now listen for the next
report!" I exclaimed; "perhaps it is a ship in distress."

But it was immediately evident that it could be nothing of that sort,
for even as I spoke, another report came floating down upon the wings of
the gale, and then two others in quick succession.

Tom Hardy sprang into the main-rigging, and, going aloft as far as our
short masts would permit, stood for nearly a minute, swaying about with
the roll and pitch of the vessel, his eyes shaded by one hand, gazing
eagerly to windward.

"Here they comes!" he hailed; "one a'ter t'other. Two frigates,
seemin'ly; and one on 'em's a Frenchman all over--the chap that's
leadin'; t'other's of course one of our ships."

"How are they steering?" I hailed.

"Straight for us as ever they can come, sir," replied Tom, as he nimbly
descended the rigging again, and swung himself off the low rail to the
deck.

Ten minutes afterwards the upper spars of the leading ship were in sight
from the deck, when we rose upon the crest of a sea, and in another five
minutes both craft were visible. The firing continued briskly on both
sides, the rapidly-increasing distinctness of the reports testifying to
the speed with which the chase was hurrying along.

From the moment that the frigates became visible from the deck, our
telescopes remained glued to our eyes, so to speak, and it was not long
before we were able to distinguish that both were flying their colours,
the leading ship showing the tricolour, and the other the white ensign.

"I say, Chester!" exclaimed little Smellie; "what a lark! Can't we have
a flying shot at Johnnie as he goes past. Who knows? Perhaps we might
knock away one of his spars and so help our own craft to get alongside.
My eye! ain't they carrying on, too; topgallant-s'ls and stunsails on
both sides. What a strain upon their spars and rigging! Cut away a
brace or a backstay, now, aboard that Frenchman, and away would go a
whole heap of his canvas. What a splendid craft she is! It is a true
saying, if ever there was one, that `The French know how to build ships,
and the English how to sail them!' What do you say, Chester; shall we
have a shot at him as he goes by?"

"And have his whole broadside poured into us by way of s