ved the midshipman; "and one that is
somewhat loftier than our cross-trees. A pair of sharp eyes might see
every thing that passes within twenty miles; and, as a proof of it, I
shall be the first to sing out, 'sail, ho!'"

"Where-away, my young lord?" said Dutton, fidgeting, as if he had
neglected his duty, in the presence of a superior; "I'm sure, your
lordship can see nothing but the fleet at anchor, and a few boats
passing between the different ships and the landing!"

"Where-away, sure enough, youngster?" added the admiral. "I see some
gulls glancing along the surface of the water, a mile or two outside the
ships, but nothing like a sail."

The boy caught up Dutton's glass, which lay on the seat, and, in a
minute, he had it levelled at the expanse of water. It was some little
time, and not without much sighting along the barrel of the instrument,
that he got it to suit himself.

"Well, Master Sharp-eyes," said Bluewater, drily, "is it a Frenchman, or
a Spaniard?"

"Hold on, a moment, sir, until I can get this awkward glass to bear on
it.--Ay--now I have her--she's but a speck, at the best--royals and head
of top-gallant-sails--no, sir, by George, it's our own cutter, the
Active, with her square-sail set, and the heads of her lower sails just
rising. I know her by the way she carries her gaff."

"The Active!--that betokens news," observed Bluewater, thoughtfully--for
the march of events, at that moment, must necessarily brink on a crisis
in his own career. "Sir Gervaise sent her to look into Cherbourg."

"Yes, sir; we all know that--and, there she comes to tell us, I hope,
that Monsieur de Vervillin, has, at last, made up his mind to come out
and face us, like a man. Will you look at the sail, sir?"

Bluewater took the glass, and sweeping the horizon, he soon caught a
view of his object. A short survey sufficed, for one so experienced, and
he handed the glass back to the boy.

"You have quick eyes, sir," he said, as he did so; "that is a cutter,
certainly, standing in for the roads, and I believe you may be right in
taking her for the Active."

"'Tis a long way to know so small a craft!" observed Dutton, who also
took his look at the stranger.

"Very true, sir," answered the boy; "but one ought to tell a friend as
far as he can see him. The Active carries a longer and a lower gaff,
than any other cutter in the navy, which is the way we all tell her from
the Gnat, the cutter we have with us."

"I am gla