uddenly aware of the fact that something had attracted the attention of
the officers of the French frigate, for one of the men went up quickly
to an officer on the quarter-deck, and through the glass Sydney could
see the gold lace of his uniform glisten as he raised one hand and
pointed at the rock.

"How vexatious!" said Syd, aloud; "that officer must have seen the
flagstaff."

"No, sir; I don't think so," said Rogers.

"Nonsense, man! they have seen it. Look, they're throwing the ship up
in the wind, and--yes--they're going to lower a boat. Look at the men
swarming across the deck like ants. They must have seen the flagstaff.
What a pity it was not taken down!"

"Beg pardon, sir; I don't think it was the flagstaff."

"What, then? They couldn't see the guns."

"No, sir; but they could have seen Mr Terry."

"How? Why?"

"He got up on the gun-carriage, and stood down below there, staring out
to sea."

Syd lowered the glass and changed his position, so that he could look
down into the little stone-built fort, where the upper gun was placed,
and there, sure enough, was Terry in the act of getting down from the
gun-carriage.

"Why, what can he mean by that?"

"Dunno, sir," said the man, bluntly. "He's a orficer; but if it had
been one of us we should precious soon know."

"What do you mean?" cried Sydney, uneasily.

"Only, sir, as you orficers would call it treachery, and it might mean
yard-arm."

CHAPTER FORTY ONE.

Treachery or only spite, which could it be? Syd felt a sensation of
cold running through him as he raised the glass again and watched the
frigate, for he felt that perhaps after all he might have been mistaken,
and the sailor lying by him too. Terry was an officer and a gentleman.
He had a horrible temper; he was as jealous and overweening as could be,
but it seemed impossible that he could so degrade himself as to be
guilty of an act that was like a betrayal of his brother officers and
the men.

But it was no mistake as far as the frigate was concerned. She had
rounded to, her sails were beginning to flap, and amidst the scene of
bustle on deck a boat was lowered, and the next minute it was seen
gliding away from the vessel's side, filled by a smart crew whose oars
seemed to be splashing up golden water as the sun sank and got more
round. There were two officers in the stern, and now and then something
flashed which looked like weapons, and a second glance showed that they