e just then for
self-gratulation, for as soon as our success had been made known, the
frigate wore round--every preparation had been made long before--and we
headed at once for North-east Bay; our skipper having taken the utmost
care to keep the French frigate shut in all night by the projecting
point of land which forms the southern extremity of the bay, in order
that the "Astarte" herself might be equally hidden from the French
frigate.

Ten minutes afterwards we shaved close in round the point, and there lay
the "Artemise," within half-a-dozen cables' lengths of us, with
boarding-nettings triced up, guns run out, and everything apparently in
readiness to receive us.

For a moment or two our presence appeared to be unnoticed; then _crack_!
went the sentries' pieces, one after another, on board her, the quick,
short roll of drums was heard beating to quarters, and the hitherto
silent craft became in a moment all astir with bustle and animation.

In the meantime the "Astarte," conned by the skipper in person, with old
Martin, the master, at the wheel, was put dead away before the wind
until she had run in to within some five hundred yards of the beach and
had barely eight feet of water between her keel and the bottom. The
helm was then put gently over to port, and she swept round in a long
graceful curve, during which the whole of her canvas was very smartly
hauled down and clewed up, finally coming up head to wind, and gradually
losing way, she ranged alongside her antagonist--the distance having
been most accurately measured by the skipper--and the grapplings were
instantly thrown and secured.

The "Artemise" reserved her fire until we were fairly alongside, when
she delivered her entire broadside, the tremendous concussion of which
caused the two frigates to sway heavily away from each other until the
strength of the grapplings and lashings was taxed to its fullest extent.
The marines on her poop, at the same moment, opened upon us a heavy and
galling musketry-fire; but by neither did we suffer much loss, for our
main-deck ports were closed, the guns being run in, and the entire crew
upon the upper-deck crouching behind the lofty bulwarks. The moment
that the first volley of musketry had rung out, away went both parties
of boarders, fore and aft, making a way for themselves somehow, in spite
of the nettings, and driving the Frenchmen from both ends of the ship
into her waist, where they were so huddled and crow