rtenay is too proud to keep an armed watch."

Jerry agreed to the proposal, and brought up the muskets and ammunition.
Seymour gave him a stout _fox_ to lash the musket; and taking another
himself, they both ascended the rigging at the same time, and were busy
securing the muskets up and down at the head of the lower masts, when
they heard a sudden rush upon deck beneath them.

It was dark, though not so dark but they could distinguish what was
going on, and they perceived that their thoughts had but anticipated the
reality. "The French are up!" roared the man at the wheel, to rouse
those below, as well as the watch, who were lying about the decks; but,
to the astonishment of the youngsters aloft, as well as of the men on
deck, not six, but about twenty Frenchmen, armed with cutlasses, made
their appearance. The hatches were over and secured in a minute; and
the unarmed English on deck were then attacked by the superior force.
It was with agonised feelings that Seymour and Jerry heard the scuffle
which took place; it was short; and plunge after plunge into the water,
alongside, announced the death of each separate victim. The man at the
wheel struggled long--he was of an athletic frame--but, overpowered by
numbers, he was launched over the taffrail. The French, supposing that
the remainder of the crew were below, placed sentries over the hatches,
that they might not be forced, and then collected together abaft,
altering the course of the vessel for St. Domingo.

It will be necessary to explain the sudden appearance of so many
Frenchmen. When the captain of the privateer was occupied during the
night previous to the attack, with his several plans of defence, he also
arranged one for the recapture of the vessel, in case of their being
overpowered. With this in view, he had constructed a platform in the
hold, on which a tier of casks was stowed, and under which there was
sufficient space for fifteen or twenty men to lie concealed. When the
privateer's men had been driven below, and the hatches secured over
them, fifteen, armed with cutlasses, concealed themselves in this place,
with the the hopes of recapturing the vessel from the prize-master,
after she should have parted company with the frigate. The prisoners,
who had been sent on board to assist in navigating the schooner to
Jamaica, had communicated with them, unperceived after dark. As all the
English were fatigued, from having been on deck during the previ