en, you see, you couldn't
be left alone; and if, after all, the Frenchmen do take us, why, there
would have been no one to protect you. That consoles me for remaining
here, and if the worst happens I'll fight for you. See, I've brought a
cutlass, and a brace of pistols, and it would be a hard matter for any
one to get in here without my leave."

"Oh, it would be dreadful!" cried Norah, shuddering at the thought of
the ship being captured--for she could not conceal from herself that
such might too probably be the case. "Don't attempt to fight if any of
our enemies should find their way down here--it would be utterly
useless, and only exasperate them."

"Well, perhaps they won't find their way down here," said Gerald, who
directly he had uttered anything calculated to alarm his sister was
anxious to remedy the mistake; "let us try and talk of something else,
and wait patiently for what may happen."

The proposal was not as easily carried out as made; in another minute
Gerald was again talking of what might or might not occur. Some time
went by. "Hark! hark! what is that?" exclaimed Norah suddenly, as the
boom of a gun, which from its faintness showed that it must have been
fired at a distance, reached their ears.

"There comes the first shot, but it didn't strike us--the Frenchman is
trying whether he has got us within range," said Gerald.

"It shows, though, that the enemy must be very near," cried Norah.

"It will be the sooner over," said Gerald. "We shall hear our guns go
off soon--they'll make a much greater noise; but don't be frightened,
Norah dear--they, at all events, will not injure you."

"I am not thinking of myself," answered Norah, "but for those on deck,
and for our poor father--he is still so ill and so little able to bear
all this anxiety--and for Owen, should they be struck by those dreadful
cannon-balls."

"The round shot, you mean," said Gerald; "but they are not to be so much
dreaded, after all. They may fall pretty thickly aboard without doing
any harm. I've heard some of our men who were in the last war say that
they've known ships firing away at each other for an hour or more
without anybody being hit. Hark! there's another gun; that came from
the enemy, but the shot missed us. I wonder we don't begin to fire--we
soon shall, though, no doubt about that. I wish that I had brought down
the boat's compass with us, to know how we were steering; we are
keeping, however, on the same t