murder."

"And what's that?" exclaimed Castellan, pointing to the fires in the
town. "Don't ye call shelling a defenceless watering-place and burning
unarmed people to death in their own homes murder? What if ye had your
sister, or your mother, or your sweetheart there? How would ye feel
about murder then?"

Denis Castellan spoke feelingly, for his captain possessed not only a
mother, but also a very charming sister in connection with whom he
cherished certain not altogether ill-founded hopes which might perchance
be realised now that war had come and promotion was fairly sure for
those who "got through all right."

Erskine nodded and said between his teeth:

"Yes, you're right, old man. Such mercy as they give--such shall they
have. Get below and take charge. We'd better go for the cruisers first
and sink them. That'll stop the shelling of the town anyhow. Then we'll
tackle the destroyers, and after that, if the transports don't
surrender--well, the Lord have mercy on them when those shells of
Lennard's get among them, for they'll want it."

"And divil a bit better do they deserve. What have we done to them that
they should all jump on us at once like this?" growled Denis as the
platform sank with him. "There isn't one, no, nor two of them that dare
tackle the old sea-dog alone."

Which remark was Irish but perfectly true.

By this time it was dusk enough for the _Ithuriel_ to approach the
unsuspecting cruisers unseen, as nothing but her conning-tower was soon
visible, even at five hundred yards, and this would vanish when she sank
to make her final rush.

The cruisers were the _Charner_, _Chanzy_, _Bruix_ and
_Latouche-Treville_, all of about five thousand tons, and carrying two
7.6 in., six 5.5 in. and six 9 pounders in addition to their small
quick-firers. They were steaming in an oval course of about two miles
long in line ahead, delivering their bow, stern and broadside fire as
they circled. The effect of the shells along the strip of coast was
terrible, and by the time the _Ithuriel_ came on the scene of action
Sandgate, Shorncliffe and Folkestone were ablaze. The destroyers were of
course shepherding the transports until the cruisers had silenced the
shore batteries and prepared the way for the landing.

The _Latouche-Treville_ was leading the French line when Erskine gave
the order to sink and ram. Her captain never so much as suspected the
presence of a British warship until his vessel reeled under