the slow coaches came up, which they
did not too smartly.

I reported myself to the sailing-master as directed, and soon found
myself one of four in charge of the helm. After that I saw very little
of the famous battle of Camperdown, for I had no eyes or ears for
anything but the admiral's signals. We waited for our ships to get into
their proper stations till we could wait no longer.

"Confound them!" growled the quartermaster, a fresh, cheery salt at my
side, as one or two sail still dawdled on the horizon, "These lubbers
will spoil all. The Dutch are shallow sailers, and they'll have us on
the flats before we are ready to begin. What is the ad-- Ah, that's
better. Up she goes! Smart now and have at them!"

This jubilant exclamation was in response to a signal to wait no longer,
but bear down on the enemy, every vessel being ordered to engage her
opponent as best she could.

Up went the helm, round went the yards, and away sped the _Venerable_,
and with her the rest of the British fleet, full tilt at the Dutchmen.
I learned more of the battle from the ejaculations of the quartermaster
at my side than from my own observation.

"Confound the mist!" growled he as we reached out for the line. "They
won't see the signal to cut the line and get to leeward. Take my word
for it, mate, those Dutch dogs will pull us in on to the shallows before
we know where we are."

Suddenly the thunder of guns on our right proclaimed that the action had
begun in good earnest.

"That's the vice-admiral," said the boatswain, "at it already, and he's
making a hot corner down there. Ease her up a bit now. There's the
Dutch admiral's ship the _Vryheid_. It's her we're going for."

A sudden order came astern.

"Run under her stern?--right you are," said the quartermaster. "Keep
her down more, my lads.--Lie as you are, my beauty," said he,
apostrophising the _Vryheid_, "and we'll blacklead you somehow."

"What's that ship astern of her about?" said I. "She's closing up."

So she was. Before we could slip through and get under the _Vryheid's_
stern, she had neatly swung up into the gap, blocking us out, and
leaving us to put our helm hard a-port to avoid running in on the top of
her.

"Neatly done, by the powers," said the quartermaster; "but Duncan will
make her smart for it. Ah, I thought so," as the _Venerable_ shook from
stem to stern and poured the broadside intended for the _Vryheid_ into
the stern of the intruder