ydney shook his head.

"I say, oughtn't we to hoist the colours, Belton?"

"Rogers will run them up when I make him a signal. We don't want to
challenge them to fight, only to defend the rock against all comers."

"Gettin' hungry, mate?" whispered one of the men to the lad next him.

"No: why?"

"'Cause this side o' me's 'most done."

There was a laugh.

"Silence!" cried Syd, and then in the same breath, "Here they are!"

For the bows of the frigate's boat, which had been right round the rock,
suddenly appeared from the left with one of the officers standing up in
the stern-sheets; and as they came on he suddenly pointed toward the
natural pier, and the men, who had just been dipping their oars lightly,
gave way.

As they came on the party in the little battery could see the French
officers searching the opening with their eyes, and eagerly talking
together; but they did not hesitate, apparently not realising that the
place had been put in a state of defence, for the gun was drawn back,
and the embrasure was of so rugged a construction that it did not
resemble the production of a military engineer.

They ran their boat close alongside of the little pier, and one of the
officers was about to spring out, when Syd shouted forth deeply as he
could, as he stood on the breastwork.

"Hallo!"

The officer looked up sharply, smiled, waved his hand, gave an order to
the sailors in the boat, and a dozen well-armed men sprang out.

"_Halte_!" shouted Syd again.

"_Aha_!" cried the French officer, leading his men forward. "_Nous
sommes des amis_."

"Oh, _etes-vous_?" cried Syd. "I dare say you are, but you can't land
here. Back to your boat. _Allez-vous-en_!"

"_Mais non_!" said the French officer politely, and he still came on,
smiling.

"This rock belong to his Britannic Majesty, the King of England.
_Waistcoat a nous, Monsieur. Allez-vous-en_."

"_Mais non_," said the French officer. "_En avant_!"

"_Nous allons donner le feu_--Fire at you--Fire!" shouted Syd, and he
leaped backward into the fort perfectly astounded. For Strake did not
understand French, but he thoroughly comprehended English, and as he
heard his commanding officer say _fire_! and then more loudly, _fire_!
he clapped his slow match to the touch-hole of the cannon, whose mouth
was about a foot from the embrasure; there was a burst of flame and
smoke, a deafening roar which threatened to bring down the rocks to
right and left, and a