In the Kings Name | Page 4

with a grin;
and the charge was rammed home, the ball sent after it with a big wad
to keep it in its place, and the men waited eagerly for the order to fire.
Billy Waters knew that that would not come for some time, so he sidled
up to Hilary, and whispered as the young man was buckling on his

sword, the lieutenant having gone below to exchange a shabby cap for
his cocked hat, "Let me have your sword a minute, sir, and I'll make it
like a razor."
Hilary hesitated for a moment, and then drew it, and held it out to the
gunner, who went below, and by the time the young officer had had a
good inspection of the lugger, Billy came back with his left thumb
trying the edge of the sword.
"I wouldn't be too hard on 'em, sir," he said, with mock respect.
"What do you mean, Billy?"
"Don't take off too many Frenchies' heads, sir; not as they'd know it,
with a blade like that."
"Are we gaining on her, Leigh?" said the lieutenant.
"Just a little, sir, I think; but she creeps through the water at an awful
rate."
The lieutenant looked up at the white sails, but nothing more could be
done, for the Kestrel was flying her best; and the water bubbled and
sparkled as she cut her way through, leaving an ever-widening train
behind.
There was no chance of more wind, and nothing could be done but to
hold steadily on, for, at the end of half an hour, it was plain enough that
the distance had been slightly reduced.
"However do they manage to make those luggers sail so fast?"
exclaimed the lieutenant impatiently. "Leigh, if this turns out to be
another of your mares' nests, you'll be in disgrace."
"Very well, sir," said the young man quietly.
And then to himself: "Better make some mistake than let the real thing
slip by."

The arms were not served out, for that would be but a minute's task; but
an arm chest was opened ready, and the men stood at their various
stations, but in a far more lax and careless way than would have been
observed on board a larger vessel, which in its turn would have been in
point of discipline far behind a vessel of the present day.
The gulls and kittiwakes rose and fell, uttering their peevish wails; a
large shoal of fish fretting the radiant surface of the sea was passed and
about a dozen porpoises went right across the cutter's bow, rising and
diving down one after the other like so many black water-boys, playing
at "Follow my leader;" but the eyes of all on board the Kestrel were
fixed upon the dingy looking chasse maree, which apparently still kept
on trying hard to escape by its speed.
And now the time, according to Billy Waters' judgment, having come
for sending a shot, he stood ready, linstock in hand, watching the
lieutenant, whose one eye was gazing intently through the long
leather-covered glass.
"Fire!" he said at last. "Well ahead!"
The muzzle of the piece was trained a little more to the right, the
linstock was applied, there was a puff of white smoke, a heavy
deafening roar; and as Hilary Leigh gazed in the direction of the lugger,
he saw the sea splashed a few hundred yards ahead, and then dip, dip,
dip, dip, the water was thrown up at intervals as the shot ricochetted,
making ducks and drakes right across the bows of the lugger.
"Curse his impudence!" cried the lieutenant, as the men busily sponged
out and began to reload Long Tom; for the lugger paid not the slightest
heed to the summons, but sailed away.
"Give her another--closer this time," cried the lieutenant; and once
more the gun uttered its deep-mouthed roar, and the shot went skipping
along the smooth surface of the sea, this time splashing the water a few
yards only ahead of the lugger.
"I think that will bring him to his senses," cried the lieutenant, using his

glass.
If the lowering of first one and then another sail meant bringing the
lugger to its senses, the lieutenant was right, for first one ruddy brown
spread of canvas sank with its spar into the lugger, and then another
and another, the long low vessel lying passive upon the water, and in
due time the cutter was steered close up, her sails flapped, and her boat
which had been held ready was lowered, and Leigh with three men
jumped in.
"Here, let me go too," exclaimed the lieutenant; "you don't half
understand these fellows' French."
Hilary flushed, for he fancied he was a bit of a French scholar, but he
said nothing; and the lieutenant jumped into the