onfident
tone. "She's the _Ione_, sir, or I don't know a frigate from a Dutch
dogger."

Now certain that there was no mistake, Mr Sterling steered for the
frigate. Pulling alongside, he and Rayner stepped on board. Captain
Dickson, with most of his officers, were on deck.

"Where is your ship?" was the first question the captain asked of the
lieutenant.

"There is all that remains of her," answered Mr Sterling, pointing to
the blackened ribs of the ship, which could be distinguished through a
telescope near the shore; and he gave an account of what had happened.

Due regrets at the occurrence having been expressed, Captain Dickson
saying that he had been induced to stand into the bay in consequence of
hearing the sound of the explosion, at once ordered out all the boats,
and in a few minutes they were pulling for the shore, accompanied by the
yawl.

The _Ione_, meantime, was standing in somewhat nearer, to be ready to
receive the crew of the store-ship on board.

No time was lost in embarking, and it was with intense satisfaction that
Captain Martin and those under him found themselves again on the deck of
an English frigate.

Sail was at once made for Gibraltar, Malta not having at that time been
taken possession of by the English. As the two ships' companies had to
be stowed away below, they were compelled to pack pretty closely, but no
one minded that, as they expected a speedy passage to the Rock, while
the officers and crew of the store-ship hoped immediately to be sent
back to England.

It is too true a saying that "There's many a slip 'twixt the cup and the
lip." The _Ione_ was about midway between the Spanish coast and
Majorca, when, as morning broke, a number of ships were seen standing
out from the direction of Minorca. At first it was supposed that they
were part of the English fleet, but after two of the lieutenants had
taken a careful survey of them from aloft, it was decided that they were
French.

"They have seen us, and guess what we are," observed Captain Dickson to
his brother captain. "See, here come two frigates in chase. Turn the
hands up and make sail!" he added, addressing the first lieutenant.

The crew were quickly aloft, and every stitch of canvas the _Ione_ could
set was packed upon her. There was no disgrace in running from so
superior a force. The _Ione_ was considered a good sailer, but the
Frenchmen showed that they were still faster. Captain Dickson, however,
had