ast. So dense was the fog, that no object could be seen a quarter of
a mile off.

At length a light breeze sprang up from the westward; but though strong
enough to fill her sails and send her slowly gliding over the
mirror-like surface of the water, it had not the power of blowing away
the mist which hung over it.

True Blue was walking the forecastle with Paul Pringle when his quick
ear caught the sound of a distant bell. He touched Paul's arm as a sign
not to speak, and stood listening; then almost simultaneously another
and another sounded, and the ship's bell directly after struck, as if
responding to them. The sounds, it was evident, came down with the
wind.

"Come aft and report them, in case the officer should not have heard
them."

Mr Brine was on deck and listened attentively to what True Blue had to
say. "How far off were the bells?" he asked.

"Half a mile, sir," was the prompt answer.

"Large or small, should you say?"

"Large, sir," said True Blue.

"English or French? I take it that there is a difference in the sound."

"And so there is, sir," quickly replied True Blue. "I marked it when we
were aboard the _Ralieuse_; and now, sir, you ask me, I should say they
were French."

"Very clear, indeed," remarked the first lieutenant. "Go into the
weather-rigging, Freeborn, and keep your eyes about you and your ears
open, and report anything more you may discover."

Mr Brine then went into the cabin to consult with the Captain. The
sentry was ordered, when his half-hour glass was run out, to turn it,
but not to sound the bell; and the word was passed along the decks to
keep the ship as quiet as possible.

It was possible that they were in the presence of a greatly superior
force of the enemy. The frigate's course, however, was not altered.
The breeze was freshening, and any moment the veil might be lifted from
the face of the waters, and the vessels floating on it disclosed to each
other. Everything on board the frigate was prepared for flight or
battle; and, in spite of the probability of having to contend with a
superior force, the crew showed by their remarks that they would
infinitely prefer the latter to the former alternative.

The only two, probably, on board who wished to avoid a fight were Sam
Smatch and Gregory Gipples, who still remained on board. Poor Gregory
would gladly have followed some more pacific calling, but his poverty,
and not his will, compelled him to be a sailo