t them. As usual, the dose, instead of
checking their progress, only stimulated them to greater exertions. The
marines and small-arm men returned the fire in right good earnest, while
the boats advanced more rapidly than before.

The Frenchmen had been taken by surprise: they had barely time to load
their guns. As they had not pointed them precisely, most of their shot
flew over the heads of their opponents, and there had been no time to
trice up the boarding nettings. The British were therefore soon
alongside; a fierce hand-to-hand conflict commenced with pistols,
boarding-pikes, and cutlasses, and the gallant assailants began to climb
over her low bulwarks and furiously to attack the enemy with cutlass and
pistol. The French crew, though far outnumbering the British, could not
withstand the desperate onslaught.

Sir Sydney Smith was one of the first on board. True Blue, cutlass in
hand, leaped over the bulwarks at the same moment from another boat,
with Sir Henry Elmore. There was a rapid mingling of shouts and cheers
and cries, and rattling of musketry, and the crack of pistols and
clashing of cutlasses and then the privateer's men gave way, leaped down
below, and cried for quarter. It was given, and the prisoners were at
once secured.

Scarcely was this done, when True Blue, who was forward, discovered that
the cable was cut, and that the vessel was drifting with the tide, now
making strong up the river, rapidly towards the shore. He reported this
to Sir Sydney, who instantly ordered the boats to go ahead and tow her
away. Meantime, search was made for an anchor to hold the vessel
against the tide making up the Seine, every instant apparently
increasing in strength.

"Here's a small kedge, sir!" cried True Blue, who, one of the most
active, was searching away in the forehold. "It will be of little
service, I fear, though."

"Get it bent on. We will try what our canvas will do first," answered
the Captain.

Every stitch of sail the lugger could carry was set on her; but still
the breeze refused to blow with sufficient strength to enable her to
stem the tide, even with all the boats towing ahead. The kedge was
therefore let go, but though it somewhat stopped her way, still she
dragged it rapidly on. Higher and higher she drifted up the Seine, till
at length she brought up off Harfleur, on the northern bank of the
river, two miles above Havre.

It seemed as if nothing more could now be done.

"