ir guns so high that the
shot had flown over us altogether.

Our lads were quite wide-awake enough to understand the importance of
making short work of the lugger. They therefore handled their guns very
smartly, giving the enemy two broadsides in exchange for their one, and
we were now close enough to observe that the second of these two
broadsides had dismounted one of the lugger's guns.

"Hurrah, lads!" exclaimed the skipper; "look alive and load again. If
you are smart we shall just have time to give another broadside, and
board in the smoke. Stand by, fore and aft, with your grappling-irons,
and heave as we touch. I will lead the boarders myself, Mr Bowen; so
be good enough to take charge of the ship--"

He was interrupted by another broadside from the lugger, which this time
crashed in through the bulwarks, and I immediately felt that I was hurt,
a sharp, stinging, burning pain just above my left elbow indicating the
locality of the injury. It proved to be a mere trifle, however, a large
splinter having been driven into the flesh. I quickly pulled it out,
and hurriedly bound up the wound with my pocket handkerchief, and as I
was doing so Captain Winter gave the word to the helmsman to "Up helm,
and run her aboard!"

"I see that you are hurt, Mr Bowen," said he, turning to me. "Nothing
very serious, I hope?"

"A mere scratch, sir, I thank you," replied I. "Nothing worth speaking
about."

"So much the better," answered the skipper. "Are you ready, there, with
the guns? Then fire as we touch, and then follow me everybody but the
sail-trimmers. Fire!"

The two vessels collided with considerably more violence than I had
anticipated, so much so, indeed, that the shock sent me reeling to the
deck, whereby I just escaped being shot through the head by the volley
of musketry with which the Frenchmen greeted our arrival; at the same
moment our broadside again crashed through and through the lugger's
bulwarks; and with a hearty cheer on our side, and a terrific hullabaloo
on the part of the French, our lads leapt aboard the lugger, and, taking
no denial, succeeded in clearing her decks after an obstinate fight of
about a minute, during which several rather severe hurts were given and
received on both sides.

CHAPTER SEVEN.

OUR ATTACK UPON ABERVRACH HARBOUR.

The unwounded prisoners were quickly secured below;--the wounded on both
sides being as quickly transferred to the _Dolphin_, in order that t