“Yes, I think I can make out boats, Jacques.  What do you suppose they are doing?”

“Most likely they are transferring the valuable part of her cargo on board.”

“What will they do with her then?”

“I expect they will let her go; but of course that depends whether she is a new ship and worth taking the risk of carrying her to France.”

“They don’t burn or sink her, then?”

“No; there would be no good in that; for they wouldn’t know what to do with the crew.  Of course they don’t want the bother of prisoners here, and they wouldn’t want to turn them adrift in the boats.  They might land on some island near and see us going and coming here, and carry the news to some of your cruisers.  No, I expect they will take what is valuable and let them go—­that is if the ship isn’t worth sending home.  I suppose that is so in this case; for if they were going to put a prize crew on board and send it to France, they would not be transferring the cargo.  Well, we shall see in another half hour.”

CHAPTER V.

THE BRITISH CRUISERS.

An hour passed.  During this time the watchers on the hill saw that the brig had been lying alongside the three-masted vessel, and felt sure that the cargo was being transferred, then the merchantman’s sails were hoisted, and she slowly sailed away.  For another hour the other two crafts lay motionless, then they hoisted sail and headed for the island.  There was a brisk, steady wind blowing, and they came along fast through the water.

“We shall soon see now whether your frigate has made them out,” Jacques said; “but I will not wait any longer but will go and tell the captain what is going on.  In another hour the others will be up here to relieve you, then you can bring down the latest news.”

Left alone, Ralph watched anxiously the progress of the distant vessels, turning the glass frequently toward the other island, beyond the end of which he momentarily expected to see the white sails of the frigate appear.  An hour passed.  The schooner and the brig were now within about four miles of the nearest point of the island, and still there were no signs of the English ship.  Presently he heard voices behind him, and two French sailors came up.  Ralph was now free to return, but he thought he had better wait until the brig and schooner reached a point where they would be hidden by the island from the sight of any-one who might be watching on the hill six miles away.

In another half-hour they had reached this point.  No signs had been seen of the frigate, and Ralph felt sure that she must have been anchored in some bay whose headland prevented her seeing the approaching craft; for had she noticed them she would assuredly have set out to intercept them before they reached the island, which lay almost dead to windward of them.  He was just turning to go when one of the men gave a sudden exclamation.  He turned round again and saw the frigate just appearing from behind the other island.  She was close-hauled, and it was soon evident by her course that she was beating up for the point round which the other two ships had disappeared.