I thought we were lost, again, but Providence once more saved us.  All this time the leading English frigate and the two Frenchmen were fast approaching each other.  In a few minutes, they must engage, while the Speedy was left further and further astern of her consort.  At this critical instant, one of the Frenchmen fired a gun of defiance.  That report seemed to arouse the Speedy as from a trance.  Her head-yards came furiously round, all the officers vanished from her taffrail, and down went both fore and main-tacks, and to the mast-head rose all three of her top-gallant-sails.  Thus additionally impelled, the lively craft dashed ahead, and was soon in her allotted berth, or half a cable’s-length astern of the Black Prince, as I afterwards heard was the name of the commanding English ship, on this occasion.  I may as well add here, that the French Commodore’s ship was named La Desiree, and her consort Le Cerf.  Mons. Menneval was senior officer of the French, and Sir Hotham Ward of the English.  I never knew the name of the other French captain; or, if I did, I have forgotten it.

My object had been, in bearing up, to get as far as possible from the Speedy, in order that she might not recognise us, and especially that she might not read the name on our stern.  But this running off so much to leeward, was not precisely the berth that one would wish to occupy, when a sea-fight is going on directly to windward, and within half gun-shot.  No sooner was my Lord Harry Dermond in motion again, therefore, than we hauled the Dawn up with her head to the westward, with a view to get as soon as possible out of the probable range of the fire.  It was true, the combatants might vary their manoeuvres, so as to render all parts of the periphery of a certain circle around them, anything but agreeable; but the chances were greatly in favour of the battle’s beginning, with one party to windward of the other.

Our ship behaved well on this occasion, getting out of the way with sufficient rapidity.  While this was in the course of execution, I had an opportunity to look after the corvette and the lugger.  The last was still leading, having managed, by means of short tacks, to work up considerably to windward of the two French frigates.  Here she had made a last tack to the eastward, intending to run for the coast.  The sloop-of-war was still in her wake, and was following on her heels, at a rapid rate.

Chapter XVIII.

  “You and I have known, sir.” 
  “At sea, I think.” 
  “We have, sir.” 
  “You have done well by water.” 
  “And you by land.”

  Antony and Cleopatra.

The reader will understand that I offer to his view a shifting panorama.  As soon as the Dawn had got about a mile and a half from the English frigates, a distance that was a little increased by the advance of the last towards their enemies, we again backed our top-sails, for I had an ungovernable desire to be a spectator of what was to follow.  This feeling was common to all four of us, it being next to impossible to get either Neb, or Diogenes, to pull a rope, for gazing at the frigates.  As for steering, it would have been out of the question, I really believe, as no one among us could keep his eyes long enough from the combatants to look after our own ship.