d England for ever!" shouted True Blue. He might have sung out at
the top of his voice, for amid the terrific din of battle the Frenchmen
could not have heard him.

Presently there was a loud crashing sound, a severe shock, and the
frigate heeled over with the blow, which made her quiver in every
timber.

"Oh, boy!" cried Paul, seizing True Blue's hand in his eagerness, "they
are going to board, and here I lie with my ribs stove in. If I could
but handle my cutlass, we could be on deck and join them; but no--stay
below by me, Billy. They'll make short work of it. Hark! those are
true British cheers. They have the Frenchman fast. There they come!
They are swarming over the side and through the ports! There's the
sound of the cutlasses! Cold steel will do it! Those are the
Frenchmen's pistols; our fellows know what's the best thing to use.
They've gained a footing on the deck--they'll not lose it, depend on
that. There! they shout again! The sounds are just above our heads.
Hurrah for Old England! The Frenchmen are crying out, too. It is--it
is for quarter! They'll get that, though they don't deserve it. On
come our brave fellows! There's the tramp of their feet--the clash of
the cutlasses! Nearer they come! They're overhead! They've gained the
main deck! Hark! Shut to the door and hold it tight, boy. Down come
the Frenchmen, helter-skelter! They're flying for their lives! They're
coming down by dozens, twenties, fifties! They've given way fore and
aft! All hands are shouting for quarter! Hurrah, boy! Hurrah, True
Blue! That cheer, I know it. The Frenchman's flag is down! Once more
we've the glorious British ensign above our heads! Here come our
fellows, open the door and hail them!"

True Blue did as he was bid; and at that instant who should appear,
cutlass and pistol in hand, but Abel Bush, Peter Ogle, and a dozen or
more, whose well-known faces proclaimed them part of the crew of the
_Ruby_. Great was their surprise at finding Paul and True Blue there,
and loud and hearty were the greetings which hurriedly passed between
them.

"And so you all escaped when the frigate blew up in action with the
Frenchman the day we left you?" said Paul after he had explained in a
few words how he and his companions had been captured by the Frenchmen.

"Blew up!" exclaimed Abel. "We never blew up; though we had a jolly
good blow-out that evening, after we had taken a thundering big French
frigate