ather, to a certainty," exclaimed Ronald.

"Not so sure, boy; see, they are going to make a desperate attempt to
revenge themselves."

"Here they come!" he answered, and then the cry arose from the English
ship of, "Boarders! repel boarders!"

Once more the Frenchmen came on with the most determined courage.
Captain Courtney and some of his officers and men who were aft threw
themselves before the enemy, to stem the torrent which threatened to
pour down on the "Thisbe's" decks; but with such fury and desperation
did the Frenchmen come on, that many of the English were driven back,
and there seemed no little probability that the former would gain their
object. Rolf Morton, on perceiving this, and forgetting his wound,
seized a cutlass, and calling on all the men at hand, followed by
Ronald, sprang aft to the aid of his captain. His assistance did not
come a moment too soon. Captain Courtney was brought to his knee, and a
French officer, who had led the boarders, was on the point of cutting
him down, when Ronald sprang to his side, and thrusting his cutlass
before him, saved him from the blow intended for his head. Ronald would
have had to pay dearly for his gallantry, had not Rolf cut the Frenchman
down at the moment he was making, in return, a fierce stroke at his son.

More of the English crew, led by their officers, now came hurrying aft,
and the Frenchmen, disheartened by the loss of their leader, again
retreated to their ship, leaving eight or ten of their number dead or
dying behind them. Still no one cried for quarter; and though not a gun
was discharged, the marines and small-arm men kept up as hot a fire as
before.

All this time the "Thisbe's" two after-guns on the maindeck kept
thundering away at them, fearfully diminishing their numbers. And thus
the fight continued: they made, however, no signal of yielding.

The Frenchmen had scarcely retreated from their daring attempt to board
the frigate, when the lashings which secured their bowsprit to her began
to give way. The boatswain had, however, got a hawser ready ranged
along the deck, and this, in spite of the fire kept up at them, he, with
his mates and others of the crew, secured to the gammoning of the
Frenchmen's bowsprit.

"Now the lashings may go as soon as they like!" he exclaimed, almost
breathless with the exertion; "the Frenchmen will gain little by the
change."

So it proved: the enemy's ship, when the lashings gave way, dropped
ast