's" boats which had escaped damage now came
alongside with fresh hands to form the prize crew and to carry off the
Frenchmen. Mr Leigh, leaving the prize in charge of the master's mate,
who had accompanied him, returned on board the frigate to deliver the
swords he had received, and report the state of the prize.

"I intend you to have charge of the prize, and you can take any hands
you choose with you," said Captain Stanhope.

Mr Leigh having selected two or three more men, observed--

"I will take the lads we picked up the other day; they are sharp
fellows, especially one of them, and may be useful."

Owen and Nat were summoned and ordered to get into the boat with the
other men, among whom was Mike Coffey. Owen was well pleased to have
been selected by Mr Leigh.

"We shall be out of the way, too, of that midshipman Mr Ashurst,"
observed Nat. "He is a regular bully when he has the chance."

On reaching the deck of the prize, however, what was their
disappointment to find that Mr Ashurst had gone on board her in one of
the other boats. He looked hard at Owen as he came up the side.

"Who sent you here, boy?" he asked.

"I was ordered to come," answered Owen, touching his hat.

"Well, look out, and see that you behave yourself," said the midshipman,
as he walked away.

Owen felt a sickening sensation as he looked along the decks of the
prize. Those of the "Sylvia" had been bad enough. These, although the
dead and wounded had been removed, were still covered in every direction
with blood, while they were thickly strewed with shattered spars,
fragments of bulwarks, blocks, pieces of rope, and torn sails, while
from below came up cries and groans of the wounded, either waiting to
have their hurts dressed or already in the surgeon's hands. As the
frigates were at the time not far from the coast of Celebes, every
effort was made to repair the more serious damages, in order to enable
them to haul off the shore before nightfall. The first thing to be done
was to get up a fore jury mast. Rather more than a third of the French
crew still remained on board the prize; but as all hands were required
for this work, Mr Leigh waited to send them away until it had been
accomplished. Most of them, indeed, appeared willing to lend their
help. It was nightfall, however, before sail could once more be made on
the frigate. By that time it came on to blow very hard, and the sea
getting up, made it dangerous for the boa