letely vanished, and his experienced eye assured him that she must
be a French privateer. The wind also continued as steady as at first,
and with deep regret he was convinced that the stranger was superior to
the _Ouzel Galley_ on any point of sailing, whether before the wind,
going free, or close-hauled; while her numerous crew would give her
every possible advantage in manoeuvring, or repairing damages should any
of her spars or rigging be knocked away.

Meantime, poor Norah and her brother remained in their dark cell far
down in the hold of the ship, listening anxiously for any sounds which
might betoken the commencement of the action. The air was close and
redolent of unsavoury odours, and would of itself have been sufficient
to weigh down their young hearts; it might be a place of safety, but
they would both of them infinitely rather have been on deck and able to
see what was going forward. Norah sat with her hands clasped on the
couch Dan had arranged for her; while Gerald, soon losing patience, got
up, and, as there was no room to pace backwards and forwards, could only
give vent to his feelings by an occasional stamp of the foot, as he
doubled his fists and struck out at an imaginary Frenchman.

"Oh, I do hope we shall thrash that fellow," he exclaimed, "big as he
looks. I am glad our father didn't determine to give in without
fighting. It wouldn't have been like him if he had, though the second
mate advised him to do so. I should have thought Mr Carnegan was full
of pluck, but he appeared to me to show the white feather, and I'm not
at all sure how he'll behave--not that it much matters, for I am very
certain that Owen will make the men stand to their guns as long as
there's a shot in the locker."

"I only hope that we may avoid fighting altogether," said Norah. "Owen
thought it possible that an English man-of-war might appear in sight and
put the enemy to flight, or that we may keep ahead till nightfall, and
then manage to escape."

"Depend upon it, the Frenchman is coming up much too fast to give us any
chance of keeping ahead till dark--we must not expect that. I have more
confidence in our knocking away some of his spars; Owen is a first-rate
shot, and if it can be done he'll do it. Don't be cast down, Norah; it
would never have done for you to remain where you might have run the
risk of being hit. Our father was right in sending you here, though I
wish he had allowed me to stay on deck--but th