O’Loughlin would insist on always speaking of our hero by his title, which was endeared to him by being that of his noble benefactor. “Ah, my dear sir,” returned the Lieutenant, “if we had, what a glorious cruise we should have!” “Charley, my boy,” said the Captain, filling his glass, and passing the bottle to the Lieutenant, for they were sitting in the cabin after dinner; “if you _sir_ me when in private, I must put you under arrest for mutiny, be the powers of war I must. I can’t stand it. I hate it—I’m a rank revolutionist!” “By Jove, that’s good!” laughed Charles Pole; “you a revolutionist! Why you insist every day of your life on drinking Sir Oscar de Bracy’s health, and that he must always be called ‘Sir Oscar.’ He would kick against that himself if he were here.” “He’s a trump; don’t bother me about titles, they are all very well when they and the wearer fit, and he’s fit to be a duke. I wish I had been on board the Diamond that unlucky day; I’d have had that cursed Vengeance out, or been blown to atoms.” “A sail to windward, sir,” said a curly-haired young midshipman, popping his head into the cabin; “she appears a large ship.” Up jumped the commander and his lieutenant, and the next moment they were on deck. They were then some five leagues off the coast of France, in a line with Ushant. It was blowing strong from the east-northeast, with a good deal of sea on. The Onyx was under single-reefed topsails, her top gallant masts housed. It was after sunset, with every appearance of a dirty night. Captain O’Loughlin directed his glass in the direction of the strange sail, whose topsails could be seen with the naked eye. She was coming up rapidly, under double-reefed topsails, and he pronounced her to be a frigate, whether French or English he could not say, but half an hour would decide. The corvette being on an enemy’s coast, and cruising for the purpose of destroying privateers or taking prizes, she was always ready for action. The Onyx was noted for her splendid sailing qualities. She carried sixteen long nine-pounders, and two eighteen-pound carronades in the bridle ports, and two twelve-pound carronades on the quarter-deck and forecastle. Her full complement of men and boys was one hundred and forty-five; but having taken two prizes, her first lieutenant, twenty-five men, and two midshipmen were absent. Shortly after, as the stranger came nearer, signals were hoisted, which not being answered, Captain O’Loughlin became convinced that she was an enemy, and of vastly superior force. In fact, she soon convinced them, notwithstanding the fast increasing gloom and the commencement of a fog, that she was a thirty-two gun frigate, of double the tonnage of the Onyx. As she came nearer, she hoisted French colours, and commenced firing her bow-chasers.