s eye on a French gun-brig which lay the
outermost of all the vessels, and which he thought, by a bold dash,
might be carried off.

"It can be done--I know it can, and I will ask the Captain," he said to
himself. "Harry will join me, and I will have Tim Fid and a good set of
staunch men. With two boats and thirty men, we could do it; but if Sir
Henry will give us another boat, so much the better."

Sir Henry, consenting to his proposal, allowed him three boats, and
promised to run in that very night, should the weather prove favourable,
that he might carry out his object.

The boatswain had no difficulty in obtaining all the volunteers he
required for his enterprise, and the rest of the day was spent in making
the necessary preparations.

Towards evening the brig once more stood back in the direction of
Point-a-Pitre. She reached the mouth of the harbour about midnight,
when True Blue and his bold followers shoved off. He had an eight-oared
cutter, carrying sixteen men in all; the remainder were in two boats--
one under command of the gunner, the other of Tom Marline. Tim Fid was
with True Blue.

The night was pitch dark, but a light in the harbour showed them in what
direction to steer. The cutter soon got ahead of the other boats, and,
as True Blue was anxious to get on board before he was discovered by the
French, he kept on without waiting for them.

True Blue was well aware of the dangerous character of the enterprise on
which he was engaged. The brig would not have been placed where she was
unless she had been well armed and manned; and as the _Rover_ had been
perceived in the morning, in all probability her crew would be on the
alert and ready to receive them. Still he knew well what daring courage
could effect, and he had every hope of success.

The mouth of the harbour was reached, and up it the boats rapidly but
silently pulled. There were two or three lights seen glimmering in the
forts, and a few in the town farther off; but none were shown on board
any of the vessels, and True Blue began to hope that the enemy were not
expecting an attack.

True Blue stood up and peered earnestly through the obscurity.

"There she is, lads!" he exclaimed in a low voice. "Starboard a
little--that will do; we will board under her quarter. Stand by to hook
on. Second division, do not leave the boat till we have gained a
footing on the deck. Now, lads, follow me."

True Blue expected when he leaped down