s heart glow and beat quicker
than wont. To every word of praise it warmly responded.

"Yet they know not one-tenth part of his worth; his nobleness of mind,
his generosity, his tenderness," she said to herself.

Edda Armytage might, perhaps, have been inclined to over-estimate his
various good qualities, gallant fellow as he undoubtedly was.

The conversation to which she was listening was cut short by a cry from
the mast-head of "A sail in sight."

"Where away?" inquired Sims, who had charge of the deck.

"To the southward," was the answer.

That was not the direction the frigate was expected to appear. The ship
was not yet clear of the reefs. Sims went aloft, and came down with an
anxious look. He told Glover that he did not like the look of the
stranger. "She is a big ship, with square yards and white canvas: an
enemy, I am certain," he observed. "If she was to catch us jammed up
among these reefs she might handle us in a way which would make us look
foolish."

"We shall be clear, sir, before she can get near us," answered Glover.
"Besides, we have some bull-dogs as well as she has."

"Mere pop-guns to hers, depend on that," observed Sims. "What do you
say to her being a heavy frigate, capable of blowing this old tea-chest
out of the water?"

Morton was informed of the sail in sight, but he was too much occupied
in guiding the ship out of the labyrinth of reefs to make any other
reply than the simple one, "If she is like an enemy get the ship ready
for action."

What he felt his countenance did not show.

The "Osterley" continued to thread the narrow passage; the slightest
inattention would have brought her upon the reefs. Those who could
employ their eyes kept looking now at the approaching stranger--now at
the direction where they hoped the frigate would appear. At length old
Doull's deep voice was heard exclaiming, "We are free now, sir, of all
dangers; we may stand away to northward."

Ronald sprang down on deck, and the deep sigh which escaped his bosom
showed the anxiety he had felt.

"Brace up the yards on the starboard tack!" he cried out, as he stepped
aft, and, calling for his telescope, took a steady examination of the
stranger. He expressed no opinion as to what she was, but ordered all
the sail the ship could carry to be set on her. As she had now a large
crew this was rapidly done. The stranger must have seen, by the way the
"Osterley" made sail, that she was strongly manned