The boats' crews tossed their oars while the cheers were given, and returned the same number. The oars again descended into the water, and the armament pulled in for the shore. CHAPTER THIRTY ONE. Conquest pursues, where courage leads the way. GARTH. The glasses of Captain M---, and the officers who remained on board of the frigate, were anxiously pointed towards the boats, which in less than half an hour had arrived within gunshot of the privateer. "There is a gun from her," cried several of the men at the same moment, as the smoke boomed along the smooth water. The shot dashed up the spray under the bows of the boats, and _ricochetting_ over them, disappeared in the wave, about half a mile astern. The boats, which, previously, had been pulling in altogether, and without any particular order, now separated, and formed a line abreast, so that there was less chance of the shot taking effect than where they were before, en masse. "Very good, Mr Price," observed the captain, who had his eye fixed on them, through his glass. The boats continued their advance towards the enemy, who fired her two long guns, both of which she had brought over to her starboard side, but, though well directed, the shot did not strike any of her assailants. "There's grape, sir," said the master, as the sea was torn and ploughed up with it close to the launch, which, with the other boats, was now within a hundred yards of the privateer. "The launch returns her fire," observed Captain M---. "And there's blaze away from the pinnace and the barge," cried one of the men, who stood on the rattlings of the main rigging. "Hurrah, my lads! keep it up," continued the man, in his feeling of excitement, which, pervading Captain M---, as well as the rest of the crew, received no check, though not exactly in accordance with the strict routine of the service. The combat now became warm; gun after gun from the privateer was rapidly fired at the boats, who were taking their stations previous to a simultaneous rush to board. The pinnace had pulled away towards the bow of the privateer; the barge had taken up a position on the quarter; the launch remained on her beam, firing round and grape from her eighteen-pounder carronade, with a rapidity that almost enabled her to return gun for gun to her superiorly-armed antagonist. Both the cutters were under her stern, keeping up an incessant fire of musketry, with which they were now close enough to annoy the enemy. "A gun from the rock close to the barge, sir!" reported the signalman. "I expected as much," observed Captain M--- to the officers standing near him. "One of the cutters has winded, sir; she's stretching out for the shore," cried the master. "Bravo--that's decided--and without waiting for orders. Who commands that boat?" inquired Captain M---. "It's the first cutter--Mr Stewart, sir."