enior of the mess in
whatever ship he sailed, and that was his only consolation, as it gave
him some little authority, and full licence to growl to his heart's
content.

The firing became hotter than ever, though at the distance the
"Concorde" was now from the two combatants it was difficult to observe
the changes of the fight. Still all the glasses were kept in that
direction.

"There! there! I said it would be so!" exclaimed Rawson, still keeping
his eye at the glass.

"What has happened?" inquired Ronald, eagerly.

"Why, the Frenchmen have shot away the `Thisbe's' foretopmast, as far as
I can make out--her jury-masts, too," answered Rawson. "The `Thisbe's'
done for, I'm afraid."

"What's that you say, Rawson?" exclaimed Lieutenant Calder. "Done for!
not she; she's not done firing, at all events."

Rawson said no more; still it was very evident that the "Thisbe" was
again almost a complete wreck, while the Frenchman had her rigging
comparatively uninjured. The firing on both sides began to decrease.
Evening was now drawing on, the wind was increasing, and dark clouds
were coming up from the westward. For several minutes not a shot had
been heard. Flashes there were, but they were from the clouds, and
heaven's artillery now rattled through the sky. The combatants could
now scarcely be discerned in the distance.

"The `Thisbe' has struck," cried Rawson. "I said it would be so. I
knew I should never have such luck as to take a prize like this, and to
keep our ship."

"I don't believe it," exclaimed Mr Calder. "Captain Courtney would
never have given in to the Frenchman without a harder tussle for it."

"Perhaps Captain Courtney has been killed," croaked out poor Rawson, who
was very bitter at the prospect of losing his long-looked-for promotion,
which he would have obtained as soon as the prize was carried into port.
Tom Calder, too, had every reason to wish to escape the enemy, with the
same object in view, and he was not a man to throw a chance away.

The wind was fair, and the coming darkness and the rising gale would
favour their escape. He now clapped on every inch of canvas which could
possibly be set, and did his utmost to keep up the spirits of his crew,
rating Mr Rawson soundly for his expressing his forebodings of ill.

The wind increased, and howled through the rigging; the seas came
roaring and hissing up alongside, as the frigate, driven onward by the
gale, went surging through the