"I am not thinking of myself," answered Norah, "but for those on deck, and for our poor father--he is still so ill and so little able to bear all this anxiety--and for Owen, should they be struck by those dreadful cannon-balls." "The round shot, you mean," said Gerald; "but they are not to be so much dreaded, after all. They may fall pretty thickly aboard without doing any harm. I've heard some of our men who were in the last war say that they've known ships firing away at each other for an hour or more without anybody being hit. Hark! there's another gun; that came from the enemy, but the shot missed us. I wonder we don't begin to fire--we soon shall, though, no doubt about that. I wish that I had brought down the boat's compass with us, to know how we were steering; we are keeping, however, on the same tack as before--I can tell that by the heel of the ship." Norah, while Gerald was talking, held her breath, expecting every moment to hear the guns go off with a loud roar, not aware how much the sound would be deadened before it reached the hold. Neither she nor Gerald had at first observed the increased motion of the ship, or that she was heeling over to larboard considerably more than at first. Gerald now, however, remarked it. "The breeze has freshened," he exclaimed, "though I don't know if that will be in our favour. I wish that our father had not told me to stay here without moving--I would run upon deck to see how things are going on, and be back in a moment." "Gerald, not for my sake but for your own, I earnestly pray you to remain--remember, our father ordered you not to leave this, whatever might happen," exclaimed Norah. "Yes, I know that; I was only saying what I should like to do," answered Gerald. Nearly another minute elapsed, during which not a word was spoken; then came a much louder report than had before been heard. "That was one of our guns, I am sure of it," exclaimed Gerald; though, from its deadness, Norah could scarcely believe that it was from one of the _Ouzel Galley's_ guns. "Hurrah! we've begun at last," cried Gerald, "no fear; I shouldn't be surprised to find that the shot had knocked away one of the enemy's topsail yards." Another and another gun followed in rapid succession; at intervals could be clearly distinguished the firing of the enemy's guns, and every now and then a report succeeded by a loud thud, showing that the shot had struck some part of the _Ouzel Galley_. "Fire away, my boys, fire away!" shouted Gerald. "I wish that I could be on deck, even if I'd nothing better to do than hand up the powder!" Norah again entreated him to remain. For some time the firing continued, but from the sound of the enemy's guns it was pretty clear that the ships had not yet got to close quarters.