There was a faint, pale light away in the north-east, telling of the coming dawn. Looming up dim and indistinct against the grey horizon, Ralph, who was armed, and stood near the Captain of the Wight, saw a dark hull and lofty sails. The breeze was fresh, and they were now about mid-channel. The strange sail came topping the waves, which curled and seethed under her broad bow as she rose on their crests and dipped again in the trough of the sea. Swiftly she ran down before the salt sea breeze, and a gallant sight she looked. "You’d best hide the gleam of your harness, my lord," said the old master, "or they’ll be smelling a rat." Without stopping to inquire how a gleam could assist a sense of smell, the Captain of the Wight, accompanied by Ralph, stepped off the lofty poop and took their stand under the lee gunwale. "Luff!" sung out the Master, who was carefully watching the movements of the stranger; and a cloud of spray dashed over the bow as the head of the ship came more round to the sea. "That’ll do; keep her going so. Ay, ay, my beauty, I sees ye; but ye need not be in such a hurry--we’re a-waiting for you, but ’twon’t do to let you think it; so now up with the helm, and let her fall off a bit. There, keep her jogging like that: they’ll be alongside in another minute." From where Ralph stood, by screwing his head a little he could just see the top of the masts and the round "crow’s nests" in the "tops." The main and fore yards were braced square, and the great bellying sails stretched out tight as drums before the fresh breeze. The masts looked so close, he thought she must be aboard of them, and expected every moment to hear a crash as her stem cut into the broad stern of his own ship. "Halloa! you there! you’ll be aboard o’ us an’ you take no more care," sung out the Master through a speaking-tube. But no answer came back; and Ralph was suddenly startled by seeing a long black pole slowly come creeping past the side of their ship, followed by a high black mass, and then the whole of the fore part of the vessel seemed to grow suddenly up abreast of where he was standing. He could plainly hear the sound of the sea as it dashed against the bluff bows and hurtled between the two hulls. "Hola! Messieurs les Anglais! rendez-vous," bawled a hoarse voice. "Come aboard, then, and take us!" called out the Master, at the same time motioning to the helmsman to put the helm down, so as to let her range alongside. The two vessels were now broadside to broadside, and were both surging through the sea. The Frenchman had shortened sail so as to keep alongside of the Captain’s vessel. Ralph could see a crowd of people on board. In another moment a stout rope with a grapnel attached was thrown on board the Captain’s vessel at the stern, and another caught in the fore chains forward. The two ships were now lashed alongside.