ked warmly whether there was not one of
them who was able to take possession of the other boat. The lieutenant
who had already tried and failed offered to try again, but Nelson pushed
his way forward and exclaimed, "No, it's my turn now. If I come back it
will be time for you then." With a few sailors he jumped into the small
boat and ploughed through the seas.

It was a hard tussle to reach the American, and when they did reach her
the sea was so high, and the prize lay so deep in the trough of the
waves, that Nelson's boat was swept over the deck of the other vessel,
and he had to come back from the other side and fight his way against
the high sea before he could finally succeed in climbing on board.

He now had a high reputation for courage and daring at sea fit to equal
the name he had won as a skilful mariner. It did not take the captain of
the _Lowestoffe_ long to realize that the alertness and enthusiasm of
his young lieutenant bespoke a future of the greatest brilliance in his
country's service.

In those days England was really at peace, although her eyes were
constantly turned across the Channel and wise men were preparing her for
war with France. Nelson was sent into all parts of the world, and no
matter what were his orders he always carried them out with such skill
that rapid promotion followed every return home. Time and again he fell
ill, but he was never despondent, because he was determined to continue
in his course and serve his country at any cost to himself. He also saw
the war clouds gathering, and realized that it would not be long before
he would have the chance to command a squadron against France.

The men who had scoffed at him when he first appeared, a puny boy, at
Chatham, found themselves gradually trusting more and more to his
advice, and his uncle, who had at first predicted that three months'
service would send Horatio back to shore, was now the first to predict
that England would have good cause to be proud of this slightly-built
but marvelously active-minded youth.

[Illustration: NELSON BOARDING THE "SAN JOSEF"]

A boy somewhat younger than Nelson was growing up in Corsica, in France,
who was soon to win great battles for the latter country and whose
overweaning ambition was finally to plunge his land into a
life-and-death struggle with England. That boy was named Napoleon
Bonaparte, and when he became supreme in France he realized that it was
England who chiefly blocked his sch