ted
round his heart. His sisters would have been highly pleased could they
have known the turn affairs were taking. Long before the ship reached
Spithead, Jack was engaged to Julia Giffard, with the colonel's full
consent.

The _Gauntlet_ received orders immediately to go into harbour, and
scarcely had she picked up her moorings, than a note from Admiral Triton
came on board, begging Jack to come to Southsea as soon as possible, as
his sister and Mrs Murray were anxious to see him. Jack and Adair
escorted Colonel Giffard and his daughter to The George, where leaving
them, they hurried on to the admiral's house. Stella was anxious to
receive news of her husband, while Lucy's happiness at seeing Jack and
Adair was somewhat marred at being told of the loss of the brig. When,
however, the admiral heard all the particulars, he assured Adair that he
would be honourably acquitted, and that it would not stand in the way of
his getting another ship.

"I've good news for you, whatever others may think of it," he added;
"the Russians have already invaded the Principalities, and, at the
Sultan's request, the British and French fleets have passed through the
Dardanelles, and taken up an anchorage before Constantinople. They were
there when news arrived--which reached me only this morning--that the
Turks had a squadron of eight frigates and a few smaller vessels lying
at anchor in the harbour of Sinope, according to Turkish custom, totally
unprepared for battle. Instead of remaining where they were, they would
have acted more wisely had they got out of the Black Sea and run for
safety to the British fleet. As it was, there they lay, not dreaming of
danger, when, during a thick log, the Russian admiral, Natchimoff,
sailed out of Sevastopol with six line-of-battle ships, two frigates,
and several small vessels, and suddenly appeared off the port, when the
Turks, not liking his appearance, fired a few shots at him.
Unfortunately for themselves, he immediately, without giving them the
chance of striking their flags, opened upon them a tremendous fire from
the broadsides of his line-of-battle ships. Though they could not have
had the slightest hope of victory, they fought on with the utmost
desperation, either refusing to strike their colours, or, if they were
hauled down, the Russian admiral was too blind to see it. With
barbarous resolution, he continued blazing away, till frigate after
frigate sunk or was blown up; and four