in swung over the rail, half a dozen
men ran up on deck shouting an alarm. The captain struck with the butt
of his pistol. A man fell. De Courval grappled with a burly sailor, and
falling, rose as the mate hit the guard on the head with a
marline-spike. Then an officer fired, and a sailor went down wounded. It
was savage enough, but brief, for the American crew and captain
released, were now running aft from the forecastle, and the French were
tumbled into the companionway and the hatches battened down in haste,
but no man killed.

"Get up sail!" cried the captain. "An ax to the cable; she is moored to
a buoy. Tumble into the boats, some of you! Get a rope out ahead, and
pull her bow round. Now, then, put out the lights, and hurry, too!" As
he gave his orders, and men were away up the rigging, shot after shot
from the cabin windows drew, as was meant, the attention of the town.
Lights were seen moving on the pier, the sound of oars was heard. There
was the red flare of signals on shore; cries and oaths came from below
and from the shore not far away.

It was too late. The heavy ship, as the cable parted, swung round. The
wind being off the land, sail after sail filled, and picking up his
boats in haste, the captain stood by the helm, the ship slowly gathering
way, while cannon-shots from the batteries fell harmless in her wake.

"Darn the old sea-barrel!" the captain cried. Two boats were after them.
"Down! All of you, down!" A dozen musket-balls rattled over them. "Give
them a dose, boys!"

"No, no!" cried De Courval. "Shoot over them! Over! Ah, good! Well
done!" For at the reply the boats ceased rowing, and, save for a few
spent bullets, the affair was ended. The brig, moving more quickly, soon
left their pursuers, and guided by lights on the _Marie_, they presently
joined her.

"Now, then," said the captain, "get out a boat!" When one by one the
disgusted guard came on deck and in the darkness were put in the boat,
their officer asked in French who had been their captors.

De Courval, on hearing this, replied, "His Majesty's schooner _St.
George_, privateer of Bristol."

"But, _mon Dieu_," cried the bewildered man, "this ship is American. It
is piracy."

"No, monsieur; she was carrying provisions to a French port." The
persistent claim of England, known as the "provision order," was well in
force, and was to make trouble enough before it was abandoned.

The officer, furious, said: "You speak too well our t