sake of Norah; he had
no choice but to obey his commander.

"Norah," said the captain, turning to his daughter, to whom the French
officer was endeavouring to make himself agreeable, and who had not
heard the conversation between her father and the mate, "go and get your
traps together, my girl; I am going to send you and Gerald with the mate
on shore, and I hope that we shall be soon after you."

Norah was too well accustomed to obey her father to question the
command, and immediately went below.

"Gerald!" shouted the captain to his son, who had some time before come
down from the mast-head, "go and help your sister; you must be smart
about it--the boat will be in the water in less than five minutes."

In a short time Dan and Tim, who had been sent into the cabin, appeared
with Norah's trunks. She quickly followed. Having learned from Gerald
the reason of her being sent on shore, she addressed her father. "Oh,
father, I must not, I ought not to leave you," she exclaimed; "you think
that the _Ouzel Galley_ will after all be recaptured, and you will be
carried off to France, and perhaps ill-treated by those men from whom
you have retaken the ship, while I shall be left."

"Far better that it should be so than that we should both be made
prisoners and ill-treated," replied the captain; "so be, as you always
have been, an obedient girl--and now, my child, may Heaven bless and
protect you!" and the captain, giving his daughter an affectionate kiss,
led her to the gangway. The boat was already alongside, and Owen in her
ready to help Norah down. She was soon seated in the boat; Gerald
followed her. Just then the captain took another glance at the
stranger, which was about three miles off; as he did so, the French flag
was seen to fly out at her peak. At the same moment the sails of the
_Ouzel Galley_ gave a loud flap; the captain looked round.

"Praise Heaven! here comes the breeze from the eastward," he exclaimed.
"Hold fast with the boat; come on deck again, Norah--we'll not part with
you yet;" and, leaning down, he took her arm as she quickly climbed up
the side. The rest of the party followed; and to save time the boat was
dropped astern. All hands were busily engaged in bracing up the yards.
The _Ouzel Galley_ was now well to windward; the French ship tacked, but
was still able to steer a course which would bring her within gunshot.
The two vessels stood on; the _Ouzel Galley_ was rapidly approaching the