fore the cutter came within three cables' lengths of us, when
the French captain ordered French colours to be hoisted, and, rounding
to, poured in a well-directed broadside, which quite astonished the
English privateer, who imagined that we were an unarmed merchantman.
The action now became very warm; we standing on, and every now and then
rounding to and raking the cutter, while the French privateer engaged
her broadside to broadside. The French captain was abaft, giving his
orders with the greatest coolness and ability, when a shot from the
cutter came in on deck, and a large splinter which it tore off knocked
him down on his back. Bramble and I both ran to him and helped him up--
we could not help it, although he was an enemy. He was not hurt, and as
soon as he was on his legs he laughed, and thanked us in French. The
cutter still continued the fight until we were within three miles of the
coast, when, all her spars and sails being cut to pieces, she hauled to
the wind and stood out to the offing.

"Well, Tom, there's all our hopes ended," said Bramble; "so now I'll
light my pipe. Well, I say it's been a good fight on both sides."

Here the captain came up to us and said, "_Bien oblige_,--tank you."

The cutter did not, however, stand out for more than a few minutes, when
she hove to and repaired damages, evidently intending to renew the
action. I pointed this out to Bramble. "I see, I see," replied he;
"she intends to try and cut us off from Morlaix, which is to windward,
and oblige us to fight or run for St. Malo's, which is a long way to
leeward; in either case she will be able to attack us again, as she
outsails us: perhaps the fight is not over yet."

But the Frenchman also understood what he was about, and he now steered
a course. When we were about two miles from the land, and about the
same distance from the cutter, the latter kept away so as to oblige the
ship to come to action again before she reached Morlaix; but, before she
closed with us, we discovered that we were entering a small French port,
which had not been visible to us, called (I think) Lanion, situated
between Isle Bichat and Morlaix. When within a half a mile of the land,
French over English was hoisted at our peak, and a French pennant over
an English pennant at our main.

"I told you so," said Bramble; "they have made a man-of-war out of us,
and now there'll be no end to the lies that they will tell; for though
these French fello