The onset of Julian Arden and Bill Saunders carried all before them, when suddenly the flames burst up in a sheet from the blazing lug-sail. Whilst this was taking place, and Lieutenant Thornton had pressed his antagonist, almost at the last gasp, against the bulwarks, a figure crept out from under the long boat, between the masts, with a cocked pistol in his band. It was Augustine Vadier. Stealing cautiously on, he gained the back of Lieutenant Thornton, and lifting the pistol, with a smothered curse, to within a few inches of his head, he was in the act of pulling the trigger, and our hero’s fate would have been sealed, had not Bill Saunders, who in the midst of the fiercest strife, kept his eye upon his master, perceived the movements of Augustine Vadier, and with a bound across the deck, despite blows of pikes and cutlasses aimed at him in passing, reached the spot. Just as the villain raised the pistol, Bill’s grasp was on his throat. Nevertheless, the trigger was pulled, but the aim was disturbed. Our hero had just disarmed Bertram Gramont, inflicting a severe wound on his sword arm, but the tool was destined to slay his master. The ball from Vadier’s pistol grazed the cheek of William Thornton, and passed through the brain of Bertram Gramont, who, falling back against the bulwarks, went over the side a corpse. “Curse you, you sneaking lubber!” shouted Bill, as he raised the struggling form of Augustine Vadier in his arms; “the death of a brave man is too good for you. Die like a dog!” And raising him in his powerful arms, he hurled him overboard. Lieutenant Thornton saw the act, and would, if he could, have prevented it, but a rush of the enemy aft separated him and Bill; and, after another furious struggle, the men of the Etoile, without a commander, threw down their arms and surrendered. By great exertions the flames of the blazing lug were got under, and the efforts of the sailors were directed to separate the two vessels, and secure the prisoners. Julian Arden, who had fought most gallantly, and was unwounded, called our hero’s attention to the movements of the frigate Virginie. CHAPTER XL. So completely absorbed were all parties on board the Vengeance and the Etoile, during their fierce and sanguinary struggle, that no attention had been paid to the movements of the frigate, till the thunder of her guns awoke them from their forgetfulness. Looking round, our hero perceived that the Virginie had altered her course, and was at that moment engaged in a combat with the strange sail they had seen in the distance some time back. A look through his glass satisfied Lieutenant Thornton that the stranger engaging the Virginie frigate was the Onyx, Captain O’Loughlin. This startled him, for the Onyx carried only twenty-two guns, and her complement of men, unless recruited, was very short; besides, in tonnage she was scarcely more than half the size of the Virginie, a large and remarkably fine frigate.