rcements, the
news excited the greatest joy. The earl had hoped that at daybreak the
fleet would be in sight, and as soon as it was light he mounted a hill
which gave him a wide view over the sea, but to his deep disappointment
not a sail appeared above the horizon. Knowing the desperate state of
the garrison at Barcelona, and that at any hour he might receive
news that an assault had been delivered and the city captured,
his disappointment at the delay in the appearance of the fleet was
unbounded.

The roar of the distant guns around Barcelona came distinctly to his
ears, and he was almost wild with impatience and anxiety. On reaching
the shore again he found that a fast sailing felucca had just come in
from Barcelona. She had managed to evade the blockading fleet, and bore
an urgent letter from the king, praying Peterborough to come to his
assistance. The earl did not hesitate a moment, but determined to set
sail at once to find the fleet, and to bring it on to Barcelona with all
speed.

The astonishment and dismay of his officers at the news that their
general was about to leave them and embark on such an enterprise were
very great, but the earl explained to the leaders the reasons for his
anxiety to gain the fleet. His commission appointed him to the command
at sea as well as on land, and on joining the fleet he would be its
admiral in chief. He feared that at the sight of so powerful an armament
the Count of Toulouse would at once decline battle and make for France.
He determined, therefore, to advance only with a force considerably
inferior to that of the French, in which case Toulouse, rather than
abandon the siege of Barcelona just when success seemed assured, would
sail out and give battle.

Should he do so the earl, however inferior his force, had no doubts as
to obtaining victory. Accompanied only by Jack Stillwell and by Captain
Humphrey, who had taken the place of Graham, he embarked on board the
little felucca and put to sea. The weather was cold and stormy, and the
master of the boat did not like putting out far from shore; but the earl
was peremptory, and the felucca stood well out to sea. Night came on
without any signs of the fleet being discovered. The hours of darkness
passed slowly, for the boat was undecked and afforded no shelter, and
the heavy seas which broke over her kept all on board wetted to the
skin.

At daybreak, to their great joy, they perceived a British man of war
approaching. Th