ate was
cleared for action, and the men went to their quarters. Every glass was
turned towards the approaching strangers.

"We shall have another scrimmage--that we shall!" exclaimed Tim Fid to
True Blue. "I wonder what Gipples will do this time?"

"It's a pity he ever came to sea again after the last cruise," answered
Billy. "He'll never make a sailor, and only bring shame on the name of
one."

"He's just fit to sell cat's meat," observed Harry. "Maybe one of the
shot he's so afraid of will take his head off, as it might that of a
better fellow, and that will settle for him."

With this philosophical remark the boys sat down on their powder tubs to
await the commencement of the action; while poor Gipples, who had
overheard what was said, sat quaking on his in a most pitiable manner.

The _Ruby_ was kept edging away towards the supposed enemy. As the
daylight increased, there was little doubt of her character, and she was
pronounced to be a thirty-six-gun frigate.

"A fit opponent for us!" exclaimed the Captain. "We can allow her the
cutter's assistance, and we must see how quickly we can take them both."

The cutter, however, seemed to have no inclination to assist her
consort, from whom she kept hovering at some distance.

There was not much time for talking or speculation. The _Ruby_ soon
ranged up on the weather and larboard side of the Frenchman, at whose
peak flew the ensign of Republican France. It would have been throwing
away words to have exchanged compliments or interrogations in this case.
The Frenchmen, indeed, maintained a surly silence, till it was broken
by the rapid interchange of broadsides between the two well-matched
combatants. The chances of war seemed, however, in this instance to be
going against the _Ruby_. At the second broadside, down came her
fore-topsail-yard, followed soon afterwards by the fore-topmast.

"This will never do!" exclaimed Paul Pringle, beckoning to Billy and
sending a man to take charge of his tub. "Come here, boy. You must try
and see if you can't do as well as you did when we took the _Citoyenne_.
Give her as good at least as she has given us."

True Blue, nothing loth, began to take a sight along the gun. Just then
the Captain had ordered the _Ruby's_ helm to be put hard a-starboard, by
which she came suddenly round on the opposite tack, and brought her
larboard guns to bear on the enemy.

True Blue, finding the ship going about, knew that no time