om my
heart, for you deserve it richly."

"Very happy as I am, Sir Henry, thank you," was True Blue's answer.
"Maybe when I'm a bo'sun I may have charge of some craft or other; but
I've no wish now to command this or any other vessel."

All Sir Henry could say would not rouse True Blue's ambition. He got,
however, very great commendation from Captain Brine for his conduct in
the cutting-out expedition. The prizes were officered and manned from
the frigate and corvette, and the two ships shortly after this parted
company. The _Gannet_ took two or three more prizes, and sent them into
Jamaica. Some little time had passed when, as the _Gannet_ was standing
to the southward of Guadaloupe, having gone through the passage between
that island and Dominique, just as day broke, the land was seen in the
far distance; and much nearer, on the weather beam, a sail, which no one
doubted was an enemy's frigate.

There she lay, with fully twenty guns grinning through each of her
sides, opposed to the _Gannet's_ nine in her broadside. Some short time
elapsed after the two ships had discovered each other. The midshipman
of the watch had gone down to summon Captain Brine.

"I wonder what our skipper will do?" observed Tom Marline to True Blue.
"Shall we fight the Frenchman, or up stick and run? or give in if we
find that he has a faster pair of heels than we have, which is likely
enough?"

"Run! Give in!" ejaculated True Blue. "I hope not, indeed. I know you
too well, Tom, to fancy that you'd be for doing either one or the other
without a hard tussle for it. It's my idea the Captain won't give in as
long as we have a stick standing or the ship will float. If we are
taken, depend on it, he will sell the Frenchmen a hard bargain."

"Right, lad--right!" exclaimed Tom Marline. "I knowed, Billy, that
you'd think as I do; and if the Captain proposes to do what I think he
will, we must stick by him, for I know some of the people don't quite
like the look of things, and fancy it's hopeless to contend with such
odds."

Captain Brine, however, when he came on deck and took a survey of the
state of affairs, did not seem to hold quite to the opinion of Tom and
True Blue. His heart did not quail more than theirs; but he reflected
that he had no right to hazard the lives of his people and the loss of
his ship in a contest against odds so great, if it could be avoided. He
gave a seaman's glance round as he came on deck, and then in