“Her master is an able pilot,” returned Lieutenant Thornton, “and I trust nothing will happen to our high-spirited and most kind-hearted Commander, though I confess I wish there was a breeze, if it was ever so light, for the tide is beginning to make up the river.” The wherry rode up, and Sir Sidney ordered the boats to take a broad steer between the shore and the lugger, so as to assume the appearance of fishing-boats coming out of the harbour. This they accordingly did; and the ruse succeeded, or what is more probable, a bad look-out was kept on board the Vengeance, but the boats finally made for the object of their attack without any symptoms of their being noticed. Our hero resolved to reserve his fire until the lugger should open upon them. They had reached to within pistol-shot, when a wreath of smoke curled out from the lugger’s side, and a shower of grape passed over the boats, tearing up the water, splintering the side of the launch, and wounding two men. “Now, my lads,” exclaimed our hero, “pepper them! And stand by, Bill Saunders, ready to grapple her.” “Aye, aye, sir; we must not let her go this time.” The next minute they were alongside; and springing upon the deck, boarding her on the quarter, our hero encountered Sir Sidney, coming aft, having boarded her from the bow. After a ten minutes’ conflict, the lugger’s crew surrendered, but the first mate stole forward, and with an axe cut the cable. This was not perceived for a moment, till Bill Saunders came running up, saying:— “She’s adrift, sir, and fast going towards the shore.” “Then hunt for an anchor and let go, Bill,” cried the young lieutenant, going aft to speak to Sir Sidney, who was talking to the Captain, Auguste Baptiste Gaudet, a tall powerful man, with a remarkably repulsive countenance. “This gentleman,” said Sir Sidney, laying his hand on our hero’s arm, and little thinking how destructive and dangerous those words would prove to his officer; “this gentleman very nearly captured you once before, when you lost your main mast.” “Sacre dieu—what!” exclaimed the privateer Captain, “was it Monsieur who took the Bon-Citoyen?” “Yes,” returned Sir Sidney, “and shot her captain also.” “Sacre diable!” muttered the Captain, with a savage scowl, which neither our hero nor Sir Sidney saw or noticed, for both were anxiously regarding their then critical situation. “I shall return on board the Diamond,” said Sir Sidney; “do you order the boats ahead, and set all the sail you can on the lugger, put the prisoners into the boats, and send them ashore at Harfleur.” “There’s not an anchor in the craft,” said Bill Saunders to our hero, after Sir Sidney had left.