"Who'll follow me, lads?" he exclaimed, seizing an axe and springing
into the rigging.

Tom Marline and several other bold fellows did follow. They had to
ascend and then to descend the tottering mast. Terrific was the danger.
Should the mast fall, their death would be almost certain. They
thought, however, only of the safety of the ship, or rather, how they
might best prevent the escape of the enemy. With right good will they
plied their axes on the enemy's jibboom. Bravely they hacked away, in
spite of the fire of musketry which was kept up from her decks.
Meantime a cry was raised below that the French were about to board.

"Boarders, repel boarders!" cried Captain Garland.

"I'll lead you, my lads!" exclaimed the first lieutenant. "See, they
are not coming; but we'll be at them--hurrah!"

True Blue, finding that there was no more work for him to do in getting
up powder, and seeing Abel Bush and Peter Ogle, with a few others,
following Mr Brine on board the Frenchman, seized the cutlass of a
seaman who had just been killed close to him, and, in the impulse of the
moment, sprang after them. In vain, however, their gallant leader
endeavoured to get on board from the upper deck. Numbers of Frenchmen
stood in the head, and, in spite of all the activity of the British
seamen, they could not spring into it. On finding this, quick as
lightning Mr Brine leaped down, and, followed by a few, reached the
maindeck. Then, calling more round him, he sprang through the bow-ports
of the enemy's maindeck, with Peter Ogle, True Blue, and a few others,
driving all opponents before him. Just at that moment, before all the
boarders had time to follow, Paul Pringle had succeeded in cutting
through the Frenchman's jibboom, with all the connecting rigging, and,
her head coming round, she was once more clear of the _Ruby_, and
drifting helplessly away from her. Even while engaged in his task,
Paul's watchful eye had detected True Blue seizing the cutlass, and when
he followed Mr Brine he guessed his object. Still he did not suppose
that those with him would allow the boy to board the Frenchman; and, at
all events, he was not the man to be deterred by any consideration from
completing the duty which he had undertaken.

The moment, however, that he had performed it thus effectually, he slid
down rapidly on deck and eagerly sought for his godson. He was met with
a cry from Harry Hartland and Tim Fid, "Oh yes, Paul, he's gone-