Syd Belton

"Rogers will run them up when I make him a signal. We don't want to challenge them to fight, only to defend the rock against all comers."

"Gettin' hungry, mate?" whispered one of the men to the lad next him.

"No: why?"

"'Cause this side o' me's 'most done."

There was a laugh.

"Silence!" cried Syd, and then in the same breath, "Here they are!"

For the bows of the frigate's boat, which had been right round the rock, suddenly appeared from the left with one of the officers standing up in the stern-sheets; and as they came on he suddenly pointed toward the natural pier, and the men, who had just been dipping their oars lightly, gave way.

As they came on the party in the little battery could see the French officers searching the opening with their eyes, and eagerly talking together; but they did not hesitate, apparently not realising that the place had been put in a state of defence, for the gun was drawn back, and the embrasure was of so rugged a construction that it did not resemble the production of a military engineer.

They ran their boat close alongside of the little pier, and one of the officers was about to spring out, when Syd shouted forth deeply as he could, as he stood on the breastwork.

"Hallo!"

The officer looked up sharply, smiled, waved his hand, gave an order to the sailors in the boat, and a dozen well-armed men sprang out.

"_Halte_!" shouted Syd again.

"_Aha_!" cried the French officer, leading his men forward. "_Nous sommes des amis_."

"Oh, _etes-vous_?" cried Syd. "I dare say you are, but you can't land here. Back to your boat. _Allez-vous-en_!"

"_Mais non_!" said the French officer politely, and he still came on, smiling.

"This rock belong to his Britannic Majesty, the King of England.

_Waistcoat a nous, Monsieur. Allez-vous-en_."

"_Mais non_," said the French officer. "_En avant_!"

"_Nous allons donner le feu_--Fire at you--Fire!" shouted Syd, and he leaped backward into the fort perfectly astounded. For Strake did not understand French, but he thoroughly comprehended English, and as he heard his commanding officer say _fire_! and then more loudly, _fire_!

he clapped his slow match to the touch-hole of the cannon, whose mouth was about a foot from the embrasure; there was a burst of flame and smoke, a deafening roar which threatened to bring down the rocks to right and left, and as Syd looked through the smoke he could see the French officer and his men running back to the boat.

"Strake, you shouldn't have fired," he cried, excitedly.

"You give orders," growled the boatswain; "and there was no time to haim. Shot went skipping out to sea.--Be smart, my lads," he continued, as the men who had sprung

By this time Syd had made a sign, and Rogers quickly ran the colours up the flagstaff, where they were blown out fully by the breeze.

"Don't find fault," whispered Roylance, wiping the tears from his eyes.

"What a game! See that little French officer fall down?"

"No."

"He caught his foot in a stone. Look at them now."

Syd looked down at where on the pier the French officers were gesticulating and talking loudly; the gist of their debate being, should they try to take the battery or put off, and the majority seemed to be in favour of the latter proceeding. For as they eagerly scanned the little battery they could see now the frowning muzzle of the gun, and the heads of a number of English sailors apparently ready to fire again, this time probably with better effect.

One officer seemed to be for coming on. The other thought evidently that discretion was the better part of valour, for he looked up at the colours on the flagstaff, then down at the battery, and then finally gave orders to the men to re-embark. But this was too much for the spirit of the other, who after a few sharp words took out a white handkerchief, tied it to the blade of his sword, and held it up, advancing with it in his hand till he was just below the gun, and at the foot of the cliff wall.

"Messieurs," he said, politely, "I speak not ze Angleesh as you do. I you make me understand?"

"_Oui_--yes," said Syd, who had again mounted the rough wall.

"It is good," said the French officer. "You make fire upon us. Yes?"

"Yes; we fired."

"You--you teach me yourself, vat ze diable you make here?"

"We hold this place as a possession of the King of England," replied Sydney. "Can you understand?"

"_Parfaitement_, sare. Zen I tell you I go back to my sheep, and me come and blow you all avay. _Au revoir_!"

"_Au revoir_, Monsieur," said Syd, exchanging bows with the French officer, who went back to the boat, sprang on board, the men pushed off, and the little garrison gave them a cheer.

"Thank goodness that's over," said Syd, taking off his hat to wipe his brow, as he leaped back into the battery.

"Over?" said Roylance, "not till they have been back and blown us all away."

"Beg pardon, sir," said the boatswain, "but I 'member now nuff of my old work years ago to be able to send a round shot right through that there boat, if you'll give the word."

"No, no, Strake.--There, you keep your men ready in case they do come back, Roy," whispered Syd; "I'll go up and report matters to Mr Dallas."

CHAPTER FORTY TWO.

"Could not have happened better," said the lieutenant, as he was put in possession of all particulars. "The accident happened well, and gave them a lesson in our strength that may make them think twice before attacking us."

"Then you think they will attack us?"

"Sorry to say I have no doubt about it, and since I have been lying here I have come to the conclusion that it would be better to bring that upper gun down, and mount it about twenty feet from the other. The attack must come from the lower end. If, however, they could land, and tried to scale the rocks at the top of the gap, you would have to defend the upper battery the best way you could. Even if you had a gun there you could not get more than one shot. Haul it down at once."

Syd went off and communicated the result of his conversation to Roylance and Strake.

"Yes, I think he's right," said the former. "Eh, Strake?"

"Right, sir; why of course he is. I felt that when we got the guns up, only it warn't for me to give my 'pinion. Speaking in parabolas like, what I say is, that the t'other gun's worth twopence up there, but down here it 'll be worth a hundred pound or more. Start at once, sir?"

"Yes, directly.--Roylance, will you see to making a platform and running up a breastwork, while the bo'sun gets down the gun?"

All hands were soon at work, and meanwhile Syd had gone up to the flagstaff with a gla.s.s to see that the boat was half-way back to the French frigate.