The old seaman took a steady glance at the stranger, surveying her from truck to water-line.
“If she doesn’t carry a British crew, the Frenchmen must have got hold of her since we parted company three days ago, and I don’t think that’s likely, or there would be not a few shot-holes in her canvas, and a pretty good sprinkling in her hull, too,” he answered, in a confident tone. “She’s the Ione, sir, or I don’t know a frigate from a Dutch dogger.”
Now certain that there was no mistake, Mr Sterling steered for the frigate. Pulling alongside, he and Rayner stepped on board. Captain Dickson, with most of his officers, were on deck.
“Where is your ship?” was the first question the captain asked of the lieutenant.
“There is all that remains of her,” answered Mr Sterling, pointing to the blackened ribs of the ship, which could be distinguished through a telescope near the shore; and he gave an account of what had happened.
Due regrets at the occurrence having been expressed, Captain Dickson saying that he had been induced to stand into the bay in consequence of hearing the sound of the explosion, at once ordered out all the boats, and in a few minutes they were pulling for the shore, accompanied by the yawl.
The Ione, meantime, was standing in somewhat nearer, to be ready to receive the crew of the store-ship on board.
No time was lost in embarking, and it was with intense satisfaction that Captain Martin and those under him found themselves again on the deck of an English frigate.
Sail was at once made for Gibraltar, Malta not having at that time been taken possession of by the English. As the two ships’ companies had to be stowed away below, they were compelled to pack pretty closely, but no one minded that, as they expected a speedy passage to the Rock, while the officers and crew of the store-ship hoped immediately to be sent back to England.
It is too true a saying that “There’s many a slip ’twixt the cup and the lip.” The Ione was about midway between the Spanish coast and Majorca, when, as morning broke, a number of ships were seen standing out from the direction of Minorca. At first it was supposed that they were part of the English fleet, but after two of the lieutenants had taken a careful survey of them from aloft, it was decided that they were French.