Part 31 (1/2)

At early dawn look-outs were sent aloft to ascertain if any vessels were in sight They reported three to the south-east, and one to the ard; but what they were it was impossible at that distance to say, as their loftier sails could but indistinctly be seen rising above the horizon

The _Thisbe_ had already aswas et up a maintopmast on board the prize

When Jack and Bill met at breakfast, Jack reported that he had been frequently a which showed that they had the slightest thoughts of atteain their liberty

”What would you know about thetreason?” observed Tom ”I doubt if either of you fellows know ed to talk to Frenchmen, and to understand what they said to us That, at least, shows that we do know so about French; not that I wish to boast, only I think I should do et hold of sooing to becoreat scholar, and to beat us all,” he observed, with a sneer ”Jack was even declaring that you were likely to be placed on the quarter-deck That would be a good joke”

”It would be a good reality for h I don't think it's what is very likely to happen,” answered Bill, without getting at all angry

”Nor do I,” said Tom, in the same tone as before ”Just fancy a chap like you turned into an officer You can jabber a feords of French, and ation on board the _Foxhound_, though I've a notion you otten all you knew by this time, and you may be fond of books, but all that won't turn a felloho has coentleman, as I suppose those on the quarter-deck call themselves”

”And what do you call the to hear such remarks made to Bill ”I wonder you dare to speak in that way”

”I call et into port of writing tohim to have me placed on the quarter-deck”

”I wonder you didn't do that before you ran away frootten all about you by this tie to write a letter, your father won't believe that it comes from you”

”Let him alone, Jack,” said Bill; ”I don't ets hilad as any one”

”Thank you,” said Tom; ”I flatter myself I shall kno to strut about the quarter-deck and order the men here and there as well as the rest of the, ”Toalley Be sh at breakfast”

To his last piece of biscuit, hurried away, as he had no fancy for the rope's-ending which would have been bestowed upon hi the summons

The mess-tins were stoay, and the watch hastened on deck The wind by this tiate and her prize were ers, however, which had appeared in sight in thewere considerably nearer A fourth was now seen beyond the three which had been made out to the eastward

The shi+p to the hich was considerably farther off than the others, was evidently a large vessel, and the captain declared his belief that she was a line-of-battle shi+p, but whether English or French, it was impossible to decide He hoped, as did everybody on board, that she was English, for should she prove to be French, as undoubtedly were the vessels to the eastward, the _Thisbe_ would lose her hard-won prize, even though she e to escape herself

Still, Captain Martin was not a ive up hope while there was a chance of escape

The _Thisbe_, followed by her prize, kept on her course with every stitch of canvas she could carry set

”I'et boxed up again by the French shi+ps

”If we do we et out somehow or other, as we did before,”

answered Bill; ”but even if they do come up with us, that's no reason e should be taken We must try and beat them off, and the captain and Mr Saltwell are the men to do it They are only four to our two shi+ps, for the lieutenant in charge of the prize will fight his guns as well as we do ours”

”But what do you say to that big shi+p co up Channel out there?”

asked Toets up to us, for I heard the boatswain's hty-gun shi+p, or still larger”