to discover why Giraglia was a-burning last night."

"If, on the other hand they be Genoese," answered my uncle, shaking
his head, "this is a serious matter for us. The _Gauntlet_ has but
five men aboard, and will be culled like a peach."

"Had she fifty, she could not keep up a fight against two gunboats--
as gunboats they appear to be," said I. "You will make a better
defence of it from the island here, with the few cannon you have not
dismounted."

"In that case I had best take boat, tell Captain Pomery to drop his
anchor, leaving the ketch to her fate, and fetch him ashore to help
us."

"Do so," said I. "Yet I trust 'tis a false alarm; for that these are
Corsicans I'll lay odds."

"It may even be," suggested Dom Basilio, "that the two are enemies,
the one in chase of the other."

"No," I decided, scanning them; "for they have the look of being
sister ships. And, see you, the leader has rounded the point and
caught sight of the _Gauntlet_. Mark how she is carrying her
headsheets over to windward, to let her consort overtake her."

"The lad's right!" exclaimed my uncle. "Well, God send they be not
Genoese! but I must pull out to the ketch and make sure.
You, Prosper, can help Dom Basilio meanwhile to muster his men and
right as many cannon as time allows."

He stepped to the door, tip-toeing softly, and we followed him--with
a glance, as we went, at the figure bending over the bed. The Queen
did not heed us.

From the upper terrace at the foot of the tower the Princess and I
watched my uncle as, with two stalwart Trappists to row him, he
pushed out and steered for the _Gauntlet_. We saw him run his boat
alongside and climb aboard. Five slow minutes passed, and it became
apparent that Captain Pomery had views of his own about abandoning
the ship, for the _Gauntlet_ neither dropped anchor nor took in
canvas, but held on her tack, letting the boat drop astern on a
tow-rope.

Just then Dom Basilio sent up half a dozen stout monks to me from the
base of the rock; and for the next few minutes I was kept busy with
them on the eastern bastion, refixing a gun which had been thrown off
its carriage in the assault, until, casting another glance seaward, I
saw to my amazement that the ketch had run up her British colours to
her mizzen.

But happily Captain Pomery's defiance was thrown away. A minute
later the leading gunboat ran up a small bundle on her main signal
halliards, and shook out the green flag