elf, if put to the test, might change his mind.

The stranger in a short time drew near enough to see the signals which
the "Thisbe" began to make. Her answers were watched for with intense
interest on board both ships. Mr Calder had his signal-book open on
deck.

"There goes up the stranger's bunting," he exclaimed; "now we shall see
what he has got to say for himself." Again and again his glass was at
his eye: at length he shut it up with a loud slap.

"I thought as much," he added; "he's a Frenchman; but he will find the
`Concorde' a tough morsel if he attempts to swallow her, after she has
belonged to us."

Captain Courtney arrived before long at the same conclusion, and ordered
the prize to stand to the northward, under all the sail she could carry.

Tom Calder received the order with a very bad grace. "I thought that he
would at least have let us stop to help him to fight it out," he
muttered to himself as he put his hand to his mouth to issue the
necessary orders to his scanty crew.

Sail was made on the prize, while the "Thisbe" hauled up her courses,
and stood slowly after her to draw the enemy more away from the land
before the commencement of their expected contest.

Mr Calder felt that he had no right to question his commander's
judgment; he could not help seeing, also, that could he effect his
escape, he might possibly fall in with another British cruiser, and send
her to the "Thisbe's" assistance.

Even with more intense interest than at first, the approach of the
stranger was watched from the deck of the "Concorde."

The prize had got a mile from the "Thisbe" when the French surgeon made
his appearance on deck, to enjoy a mouthful of fresh air, after his
fatiguing duties below. His eager glance, and the sudden lighting up of
his eye, showed that he fully comprehended the state of affairs.

Among the many accomplishments Ronald had obtained at Lunnasting was a
certain amount of French. He could not speak fluently, but he could
understand what was said. He could not help asking the surgeon what he
thought about the stranger coming up from the southward.

"That she is one of the fastest frigates belonging to our navy," was the
answer. "We were expecting her here about this time; you have no chance
of escaping her. We were to have cruised together; perhaps we shall do
so now."

"Ask him what sort of a man is her captain," said Mr Calder, who saw
Ronald talking to the surgeon.

Ronald