o the boat; Mr and Miss Ferris descended the
accommodation ladder. After a brief farewell to Captain Thurot, who
with his officers bowed them politely out of the ship, the dinghy shoved
off.

CHAPTER SEVEN.

ELLEN AND HER FATHER, WITH CAPTAIN O'BRIEN, WATCH THE CHAMPION AND
COQUILLE FROM PORTALA HEAD--THE FIGHT--THE SHIPS DISAPPEAR IN THE
DISTANCE--RETURN TO WATERFORD--NEWS OF THE CAPTURE OF O'HARRALL--ELLEN'S
ANXIETIES--GERALD SENT TO MRS. MASSEY--DURING THE WIDOW'S ABSENCE OWEN
RECEIVES A VISIT FROM O'HARRALL--CONCEALS HIM--THE PURSUERS COME TO THE
COTTAGE--THE WIDOW'S ALARM--OWEN ENABLES O'HARRALL TO ESCAPE.

The worthy captain had not handled a pair of oars for many a year, but
he seized the sculls and pulled away lustily towards the western side of
the harbour. As to rowing up it against the strong tide then running
out, that, he saw, was hopeless, Mr Ferris being no oarsman. The
_Coquille's_ sails were let fall, and the men in the boats giving way,
she in a short time was clear of the harbour, and was seen to stand
close-hauled towards the south-west, the tide being in her favour. The
stranger had by this time made her out, and was steering on the opposite
tack towards the harbour's mouth. Being far to leeward, there appeared
but little chance, unless the breeze should freshen, of the two ships
meeting.

"I only hope they may," said the captain, as he tugged away at the oars.
"Thurot is a fine fellow, no doubt about that; but he deserves to be
punished for his impudence, and if the _Champion_ gets alongside him,
he'll find that he's caught a Tartar. Olding isn't the man to part
company with an enemy till she strikes, or one or the other goes to the
bottom. His officers are like him, I hear, and I shouldn't be
astonished to see the _Coquille_ brought in a prize before many hours
are over."

Ellen looked pale and anxious while the captain was speaking.

"We knew Mr Foley, the second lieutenant of the _Champion_, very well
in Dublin, when she lay at Kingstown," observed Mr Ferris--"a fine
young fellow. I am sure also that you have described Captain Olding
truly."

The captain was all the time pulling away with might and main, now
looking ahead to judge of the direction to take, and now watching the
two ships.

"Thurot hasn't calculated on getting becalmed under the land; if he does
that, he'll find the _Champion_ soon walk up to him," he observed.
"Pulling is harder work than I thought for, or