over the
two stern guns to the side on which the lugger might come up; while the
other two were loaded with musket-balls ready to fire into her.

At length, a shot aimed high by the lugger struck the cutter's topmast.
The spar held on for a minute, but a stronger puff of wind filling the
sail, with a loud crash it gave way, and down came the gaff-topsail and
square-topsail. The mainsail and squaresail still, however, stood. The
lugger now came up hand over hand. The two stern chasers were once more
fired. The lugger was steering for the cutter's starboard quarter. In
a few minutes the guns were dragged over to the starboard side and run
through the two after ports, while the other remaining gun was hauled up
with equal rapidity to the same side.

"Lower away the squaresail; down with the helm. Now fire, lads!"

Four guns were simultaneously discharged, raking the lugger fore and
aft. The next instant the helm was again put up, or the lugger would
have run into her stem on. Instead of this, striking on the counter,
she ranged up alongside. A large body of men were seen grouped on the
forecastle armed with pikes and cutlasses. The moment the sides of the
two vessels touched, with loud shouts, led by one of their officers,
they leaped on board, many to meet their doom, for before they reached
the deck they were cut down by the stalwart arms of the British seamen.
Others followed, but, met with a bristling array of pikes and cutlasses
in their faces, they dared not spring from their own bulwarks. The men
aft, under the command of Lord Reginald, had been keeping up a warm fire
of musketry, when the lieutenant, turning his head, saw a party of the
enemy kept in reserve, about to board the cutter aft. He instantly
sprang towards the threatened point, followed by several who had
gallantly been keeping the first party of boarders in check. Among them
was Dick Hargrave and several of his companions. Leading the French
boarders was a big fellow with huge bushy whiskers, and a red
handkerchief tied round his head. With a sword of a size which few men
could have wielded, he made a desperate slash at the lieutenant, which
would have brought him to the deck, had not Dick sprang forward and,
interposing his cutlass, dealt the next instant such a blow on the sword
arm of the giant, that the fellow's weapon dropped from his hand.

"Thank you, my good fellow, I saw what you did," said the lieutenant.
"Now lads, we will