tain,
manoeuvring with great skill, was able to sail backwards and forwards
across the enemy's stern and rake him repeatedly fore and aft.

So the fight continued until at last the captain gave the order to lay the
ship alongside the Frenchman and board. There was no more work for the
powder-monkeys now, so Will and Tom seized boarding-pikes and joined in
the rush on to the enemy's deck. The resistance, however, was short-lived;
the enemy had suffered terribly from the raking fire of the _Furious_, and
as the captain and many of the officers had fallen, the senior survivor
soon ordered the flag to be lowered. A tremendous cheer broke from the
British. They now learned that the ship they had captured was the
_Proserpine_, which was on her way to enter the Mediterranean and effect a
junction with the French fleet at Toulon.

The next day the crew worked hard to get up a jury foremast. When this was
done a prize crew was put on board. The French prisoners were confined
below, as they far outnumbered their captors. Then, having repaired her
own damages, the _Furious_ proceeded on her way.

On arriving at Gibraltar the captain received orders to proceed to Malta,
and to place himself under the order of the admiral there. For a time
matters proceeded quietly, for the winds were light and baffling, and it
took a fortnight to get to their destination. Here the ship was thoroughly
examined, and the damage she had suffered more satisfactorily repaired
than had been possible while she was at sea.

When the overhauling was completed she received orders to cruise off the
coast of Africa. This was by no means pleasing to the crew, who considered
that they had small chance of falling in with anything of their own size
on that station. They were told, however, that there had been serious
complaints of piracy on the part of the Moors, and that they were
specially to direct their attention to punishing the perpetrators of such
acts.

One morning three strange craft were sighted lying close together.
Unfortunately, however, it was a dead calm.

"They are Moors, certainly," the captain said to the first lieutenant
after examining them with his glass. "What would I not give for a breath
of wind now? But they are not going to escape us. Get all the boats
hoisted out, and take command of the expedition yourself."

Immediately all was bustle on board the ship, and in a very short time
every boat was lowered into the water. Will was look