“However, certain it is that the shot was fired, and was followed up by two or three more; after which the Frenchman ceased firing, and a boat was seen to quit the side of the craft, bearing a flag of truce.

“The consternation into which the town was thrown is said to have been tremendous.”

“That’s false,” interrupted the captain, removing his pipe while he spoke.  “The word ain’t appropriate.  The men of Arbroath doesn’t know nothin’ about no such word as ’consternation ’.  They was surprised, if ye choose, an’ powerfully enraged mayhap, but they wasn’t consternated by no means,”

“Well, I don’t insist on the point,” said the lieutenant, “but chroniclers write so——­”

“Chroniclers write lies sometimes,” interrupted the captain curtly.

“Perhaps they do; but you will admit, I dare say, that the women and children were thrown into a great state of alarm.”

“I’m not so sure of that,” interposed Ruby.  “In a town where the men were so bold, the women and children would be apt to feel very much at their ease.  At all events, I am acquainted with some women who are not easily frightened.”

“Really, I think it is not fair to interrupt the story in this way,” said Minnie, with a laugh.

“Right, lass, right,” said the captain.  “Come, leftenant, spin away at yer yarn, and don’t ventur’ too much commentary thereon, ’cause it’s apt to lead to error, an’ ye know, as the poet says—­

’Errors in the heart breed errors in the brain,
An’ these are apt to twist ye wrong again.’

I’m not ‘xactly sure o’ the precise words in this case, but that’s the sentiment, and everybody knows that sentiment is everything in poetry, whether ye understand it or not.  Fire away, leftenant, an’ don’t be long-winded if ye can help it.”

“Well, to return to the point,” resumed Lindsay.  “The town was certainly thrown into a tremendous state of some sort, for the people had no arms of any kind wherewith to defend themselves.  There were no regular soldiers, no militia, and no volunteers.  Everybody ran wildly about in every direction, not knowing what to do.  There was no leader, and, in short, the town was very like a shoal of small fish in a pool when a boy wades in and makes a dash amongst them.

“At last a little order was restored by the Provost, who was a sensible old man, and an old soldier to boot, but too infirm to take as active a part in such an emergency as he would have done had he been a dozen years younger.  He, with several of the principal men of the town, went down to the beach to receive the bearers of the flag of truce.

“The boat was manned by a crew of five or six seamen, armed with cutlasses, and arquebusses.  As soon as its keel grated on the sand a smart little officer leaped ashore, and presented to the Provost a letter from Captain Fall, which ran somewhat in this fashion:—­

“’AT SEA, May twenty-third.