ey
wanted was the opportunity which, as is well known, does not fall to the
lot of every man.

We had been cruising in the northern part of the Bay of Biscay, when,
standing towards Brest, we made out under the batteries in Camaret Bay a
brig-of-war at anchor, with springs on her cable. One of our
lieutenants was ill, and another away in a prize. Harry, to his great
satisfaction, having got leave to lead an expedition to cut her out,
asked for me to accompany him; Reginald had command of one boat, and a
midshipman had charge of a third. We knew that there were several
ships-of-war at anchor scarcely a mile off, which might have sent their
boats to stop us if they had known what we were about. We stood inshore
as soon as it was dark, and when about two miles from the place hove-to.
The boats were lowered, and we shoved off. Harry and I were in the
cutter, a fast-pulling boat, and kept ahead of the other two boats. We
could tell the position of the brig by the lights on shore, and, after a
hard pull, we caught sight of her. We guessed by the sounds that
reached us that her crew were at quarters, but, though the other boats
were still some way astern, Harry was eager to board at once; we made
for her quarter, and hooking on, we sprang over her bulwarks with our
cutlasses in hand. The Frenchmen made a desperate rush at us; I looked
round, but nowhere could I see Harry. The next instant I found myself
hurled back into the boat among several of our men who had boarded with
me. I sang out for Harry, but he was not in the boat, and I feared that
he had been cut down; just then I heard his voice, and found that he had
sprung into a trawl-net which hung over the brig's quarter. We made
another attempt to gain the deck, and kept back the Frenchmen; while
Harry extricated himself, with the help of two of the men, from his
dangerous position, and leapt back into the boat, into which we were
again driven.

"Haul the boat more ahead, and we will try it again!" he shouted out.

Though I had had a thrust with a pike in my side, and I guessed that
several other men were wounded, not being aware, however, that Harry
himself had been hurt, we again sprang on board. I kept close to him
this time, and warded off a heavy blow aimed at his head; pistols were
flashed in our faces, pikes thrust at us, and cutlasses were whirled
round our heads, and again we were driven back with more men hurt, while
I had received another wound fr