"Had she fifty, she could not keep up a fight against two gunboats-- as gunboats they appear to be," said I. "You will make a better defence of it from the island here, with the few cannon you have not dismounted." "In that case I had best take boat, tell Captain Pomery to drop his anchor, leaving the ketch to her fate, and fetch him ashore to help us." "Do so," said I. "Yet I trust 'tis a false alarm; for that these are Corsicans I'll lay odds." "It may even be," suggested Dom Basilio, "that the two are enemies, the one in chase of the other." "No," I decided, scanning them; "for they have the look of being sister ships. And, see you, the leader has rounded the point and caught sight of the _Gauntlet_. Mark how she is carrying her headsheets over to windward, to let her consort overtake her." "The lad's right!" exclaimed my uncle. "Well, God send they be not Genoese! but I must pull out to the ketch and make sure. You, Prosper, can help Dom Basilio meanwhile to muster his men and right as many cannon as time allows." He stepped to the door, tip-toeing softly, and we followed him--with a glance, as we went, at the figure bending over the bed. The Queen did not heed us. From the upper terrace at the foot of the tower the Princess and I watched my uncle as, with two stalwart Trappists to row him, he pushed out and steered for the _Gauntlet_. We saw him run his boat alongside and climb aboard. Five slow minutes passed, and it became apparent that Captain Pomery had views of his own about abandoning the ship, for the _Gauntlet_ neither dropped anchor nor took in canvas, but held on her tack, letting the boat drop astern on a tow-rope. Just then Dom Basilio sent up half a dozen stout monks to me from the base of the rock; and for the next few minutes I was kept busy with them on the eastern bastion, refixing a gun which had been thrown off its carriage in the assault, until, casting another glance seaward, I saw to my amazement that the ketch had run up her British colours to her mizzen. But happily Captain Pomery's defiance was thrown away. A minute later the leading gunboat ran up a small bundle on her main signal halliards, and shook out the green flag of Corsica. "You can let the gun lie," said I to my monks. "These are friends." "They are my countrymen," said the Princess at my elbow. "That they are friends is less certain." "At any rate, they are lowering a boat," said I; "and see, my uncle is jumping into his, to intercept them." The Corsicans, manning their boat, pulled straight for the island; but at half a mile's distance or less, being hailed by my uncle, lay on their oars and waited while he bore down on them. I saw him lift his hat to a man seated in the stern-sheets, who stood up and saluted politely in response. The two boats drew close alongside, while their commanders conversed, and after a couple of minutes resumed their way abreast and drew to the landing-quay, where Dom Basilio stood awaiting them.