re
fast coming up. The Frenchmen must have seen that there was a great
chance of their prey escaping them, unless they captured them at once.
The crews uttered loud cries, the boats dashed on. In another minute
they would have been up to them, when the corvette's three boats
appeared from under her counter, and pulled rapidly towards them.

They saw that their chance of success was over, and, pulling round, went
back to the prize as fast as they came.

"We should have fought them, sir, if we had not been recalled," observed
Mr Nott, when reporting what had occurred to the Captain.

There appeared every probability of the corvette having to contend with
two frigates instead of one, for the masts of another were made out in
the harbour just abreast of them. The crew also knew of this. There
was a good deal of talking among them, when they all came aft in a body.
True Blue stepped out from among them, and spoke in a clear, firm
voice:

"You called on us, sir, to fight the last time; we hope, sir, that you
will allow us to ask you to fight this time, and we'll stick by you."

"Thank you, my lads--thank you; I am sure that you will," answered the
Captain. "Whatever we do, we will not disgrace our flag."

The crew gave three loud cheers and retired. Cat's-paws were now seen
playing on the water; the sails of the French frigate filled, but her
head was not turned towards the corvette. Soon the latter also felt the
force of the breeze. Captain Brine ordered the sails to be trimmed, and
the corvette stood away from the land. As she did so, her crew could
clearly make out another frigate coming out of harbour to join her
consort, but what the enemy's two ships were about, it was impossible to
say, as in a short time, with the freshening breeze, they were both run
out of sight.

CHAPTER TWENTY THREE.

The _Gannet_ had now been some time on the station, and had performed a
number of deeds worthy of note, taken several prizes, and injured the
enemy in a variety of ways, when one morning, just at daybreak, as she
lay not far from Porto Rico, a schooner was seen creeping out from under
the land towards her.

Captain Brine had done his best to make his ship look as much as
possible like a merchantman. She was now slowly yawed about as if badly
steered, with sails ill trimmed, and her sides brown and dirty and long
unacquainted with fresh paint, a screen of canvas concealing her ports.
The schooner came on boldl