er force than before against his
face.

"We will wait a bit, lads," he said. "There is no great hurry, and in a
few minutes we shall make out what the weather is going to be."

His own sons and some of the men remained in the boat, knowing that he
was not likely to give up his intention unless the weather speedily
became much worse. Others followed him back to the pier-head, over
which the spray beat in frequent showers, showing that the sea had got
up considerably, even since they had left it.

They had retreated back a few paces to avoid the salt showers. Adam
still seemed somewhat unwilling to give up putting to sea, when the dull
sound of a gun from the offing reached their ears. Another and another
followed.

"There is a ship on Norton Sands," observed one of the men. "Those guns
are too far off for that," answered Halliburt. Two others followed, and
then came the thunder-sounding reports of several fired together.

"I was sure those were not guns of distress. They come from ships in
action, depend on that; and the news is true we heard yesterday, that
the French and English are at it again," exclaimed Adam. "I thought we
shouldn't long remain friends with the Mounsiers."

"Good luck be with the English ships!" cried one of the fishermen.

"Amen to that! but they must be careful what they are about, for with
the wind dead on shore, if they knock away each other's spars, they are
both more than likely to drift on Norton Sands, and if they do, the Lord
have mercy on them," said Adam, solemnly. "Whichever gets the victory,
they will be in a bad way, as I fear, after all, it will be a dirty
night. The wind has shifted three points to the eastward since I left
home, and it's blowing twice as hard as it did ten minutes ago. We may
as well run the _Nancy_ up to her moorings, lads."

As one of the men was hurrying off to carry this order to the rest, a
heavier blast than before came across the ocean. It had the effect of
rending the veil of mist in two, and the rain ceasing, the keen eyes of
the fishermen distinguished in the offing two ships running towards the
land, the one a short distance ahead of the other, which was firing at
her from her bow-chasers, the leading and smaller vessel returning the
fire with her after guns, and apparently determined either to gain a
sheltering harbour or to run on shore rather than be taken. The moment
that revealed her to the spectators showed those on board how ne