upposed, but still there was no useless lamentation or
weeping. One thing is certain, that this news quite spoiled their
appetite for their dinner, which, however, was soon dispatched by the
French officer and his men, after the boat had left, and the vessel's
head had been put in an opposite direction.

Captain Wilson, who had returned on deck, came down in about a quarter
of an hour, and informed the party, who were silently brooding over this
sudden change in their prospects, that the wind was very light, and that
he thought the fog was clearing off a little, and that if it did so
before it was dark, he was in great hopes that they should be
recaptured. This intelligence appeared to revive the hopes of Mr. and
Mrs. Campbell, and they were still more encouraged when they heard the
sounds of guns at no very great distance. In a few minutes afterward the
cannonading became very furious, and the Frenchmen who were on board
began to show strong signs of uneasiness.

The fact was, that a French squadron, of one sixty-gun ship and two
corvettes, had been on the look-out for the convoy, and had come in
among them during the fog. They had captured and taken possession of
several vessels before they were discovered, but the sixty-gun ship at
last ran very near to the Portsmouth, and Alfred, who had the watch, and
was on a sharp look-out, soon perceived through the looming fog, that
she was not one of the convoy. He ran down to acquaint the captain, and
the men were immediately ordered to their quarters, without beating the
drum, or making any noise that might let the enemy know they were so
near. The yards were then braced in, to check the way of the Portsmouth,
so that the strange vessel might come up with her. Silence was kept fore
and aft, not a whisper was to be heard; and as the Frenchmen neared
them, they perceived a boat putting off from her to board another vessel
close to them, and also heard the orders given to the men in the French
language. This was sufficient for Captain Lumley: he put the helm down,
and poured a raking broadside into the enemy, who was by no means
prepared for such a sudden salute, although her guns were cast loose,
ready for action, in case of accident. The answer to the broadside was a
cry of "_Vive la Republique!_" and, in a few seconds, both ships were
hotly engaged--the Portsmouth having the advantage of lying upon the bow
of her antagonist.

As is often the case, the heavy cannonading bro