d fired at her, and also at the people she was bringing off.

This, of course, made the admirals very indignant, and several steamers
were sent to the north to blockade the port; and, on the 17th of April,
the combined fleets weighed and proceeded in the same direction,
arriving off Odessa on the 28th.

"I thought it wouldn't be long before we had something to do," said
Archie, as he and Tom stood on the deck, watching the coast along which
the _Tornado_ was steaming.

The city stands on the southern shore of a bay, with the houses built on
the slopes, with moderately high hills rising up from it. In the centre
of the bay was a citadel armed with heavy guns, overlooking the whole of
the bay, with strong batteries placed at different points, so as to
sweep it with a crossfire; while the ends of three piers were heavily
armed with batteries.

As soon as the ships came off the place, the admiral sent in a summons
to the governor, demanding, as an atonement for the insult offered to
the flag of truce, that all English and French ships should be sent out,
and the Russian ships surrendered; and threatening, should this demand
not be complied with, that the combined squadron would open fire on the
place. The officers and men on board the ships waited eagerly for the
governor's answer, whether he would yield to their demands and send out
the vessels, or would try the chances of war. All hands hoped that he
would prove obstinate, and give them the chance of trying their shot and
shell against his stone batteries.

By the evening of the 21st no answer had been given, and Jack, with the
other captains and commanders, having been summoned on board the
flagship, returned in high spirits with the announcement that the place
was to be attacked.

The next morning, Ben Snatchblock's shrill pipe sounding along the decks
roused up the watch below, who sprang on deck with even more than their
usual alacrity. The midshipmen, turning out of their hammocks, quickly
dressed. Everybody by this time knew that work was to be done. The
grey light of morning was just breaking in the eastern horizon, beyond
the combined fleets of England and France, which lay outside of the
steamers. On the west was the city of Odessa, rising to a considerable
height above the calm surface of the water, green fields and woods on
either side, while in front could be seen the citadel and its numerous
forts armed with heavy guns, ready to pour showers of s