sure not to be, it is better to have one head than two, and as we shall
have to do all the fighting, it's just as well that we should have the
whole control of things too."

For four days they sailed along quietly. On the morning of the fifth the
signal was run up from the _Sea-horse__ for the prizes to close up to her.
Mr. Woods, the mate on board the brig, at once sent a sailor up to the
mast-head.

"There is a large ship away to the south-west, sir," he shouted down.

"What does she look like?"

"I can only see her royals and top-sails yet, but by their square cut I
think that she is a ship-of-war."

"Do you think she is French or English?"

"I cannot say for certain yet, sir, but it looks to me as if she is
French. I don't think that the sails are English cut anyhow."

Such was evidently the opinion on board the _Sea-horse__, for as the
prizes came up within a hundred yards of her they were hailed by the major
through a speaking-trumpet, and ordered to keep at a distance for the
present, but to be in readiness to come up alongside directly orders were
given to that effect.

In another half-hour the look-out reported that he could now see the lower
sails of the stranger, and had very little doubt but that it was a large
French frigate. Scarcely had he done so before the two prizes were ordered