e as
fate; and then we may bear up for a French prison as soon as we please.
The frigate keeps popping away at us, in the hope, I suppose, that a
lucky shot may wing us; and I don't see why we shouldn't return the
compliment. We are just out of reach of her twelve-pounders, but I
think our long eighteen ought to be capable of pitching a shot aboard
her. Just bowse it up to wind'ard as far as it will go, and let us see
what it will do."

"Ay, ay, sir," answered I. "The gun ought to reach her; and if we can
but wing her, though ever so slightly, we may scrape clear after all.
Lay aft, here, some of you, and get the tarpaulin off this Long Tom, and
pass the word for the gunner."

We soon got the gun into position, and the captain of it--a man who had
seen a great deal of service on board a man-o'-war, from which he had
deserted just before joining the _Dolphin_--tried a shot at the frigate.
The gun was splendidly aimed, but it was fired just a second too late,
as the schooner's stern was dipping; the result was that the shot, which
flew straight for the frigate, struck the water some distance ahead of
her.

"Very good, Mason, for a first attempt!" remarked the skipper
approvingly. "Try again, my lad."

The gun was sponged, loaded, and again fired, and this time the shot
hulled the frigate fair and square, striking her about a foot below the
larboard hawse-pipe.

"Now," remarked the skipper, "try her again, my fine fellow. You ought
to do something worth the powder this time."

The words were hardly spoken when the frigate bore almost square up for
a moment, and let fly her whole weather broadside at us; but every one
of the shot fell short. The moment that she had fired she luffed up
into our wake once more.

Again Mason pointed the long gun and fired, but this time--perhaps
because he was too careful--the shot flew wide, striking the water some
distance to leeward and, as we all thought, astern of the frigate.

"Keep cool, Mason, keep cool, my man," warned the skipper. "That shot
was well meant, and shows that you have got the range to a nicety; but
you were in too much of a hurry. Try again."

Mason mopped his forehead with his handkerchief, although the wind was
piercingly cold; the gun was reloaded, and then Mason pointed and
levelled it with the utmost care. When this was done, taking the
lanyard in his hand he stepped back to the utmost length of the line,
and with arm outstretched, stood for mor