Sorry about this long pause. But I have a lot to do in the school (this is my last year), and Ruth, my fried who corrects my grammar, was busy too. But now here is the fifth chapter, which is the longest!

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Chapter 5

Horatio was wildly wiping the lens of his telescope, in vain. He only saw dim, blue and white blobs evenwhen the glass was totally clean. Finally, when he tried it for the hundredth time (when he felt his eyes would jump out and his head explode because of strain), he noticed something.

"There is a black thing!" he said and let down his telescope. Sawyer took it from his hand and lookedthrough it.

"That's a ship." he said after a brief look. "She's heading for us."

"Let me see!" cried Pellew, and he snatched the spyglass from hisfriend's hand. "Oh, just a petty frigate!"

They were standing on the quarterdeckAbove them the sun was scorching through the veil-clouds. The air was humid and sultryThe wind, which was driving the foreign ship towards them, was hot too. As she came nearer and nearer, the boys could see her with
their own eyes.

"She's under full sail," stated Sawyer. "Why is she hurrying so much?"

"There's a French flag on her." said Pellew, still holding the telescope in front of his eye. They were watching the frigate in silence, their brains dull because of the heat.

"Hey, listen!" Horatio began uncertainly "If a ship comes straight at us with open sails…"

Pellew burst out laughing.

"What have I said wrong now?" thought Horatio bitterly

"You can hoist a sail or raise it, but you can't open it." explained Sawyer.

"Ahha. I wanted to suggest that we tell the captain. Maybe she is an enemy ship."

The two other midshipmen stared at each other.

"Of course she is!" cried Sawyer. "I shall run for the captain!"

After a few minutes the deck was filled with peopleMen were running here and there, orders were shouted, the pipes were screeching urgently. Horatio was standing helpless in the middle of the confusion. His first sea battle was about to begin, and he didn't know what he should do. "Perhaps I have to give orders to my men?" he thought hesitantly. Suddenly Hammond rushed out from the wardroom.

"For God's sake, Mr Nelson, don't stand here idle!" he shouted, but the noise nearly drowned his voice. "Command your men to come up on deck!"

Horatio smiled at the Lieutenant with thanks and hurried away. In the between-decks the crowd was much bigger and he had to shout so that the others could hear him.

"Ahoy men, all hands on deck!"

Sawyer ran near him with a sword in his hand. There was somethingfrightening in his eyes. Horatio snatched his arm.

"What do you want?" theolder midshipman bawled at him.

"What do I have to do?"

Sawyer looked around impatiently, but bowed down to his friend's ear and shouted in it:

"Hardly anything. Just repeat the captains orders to the sailors."

"But I don't know what the orders mean!"

"That's no problem, they will know. You have only to copy them. It isn't difficult!"

Sawyer patted Horatio on the back and ran away. The boy turned to do what his friend toldhim to and he found himself face-to-face with one of his men. He was lively, middle-aged man, with brown eyes and hair, and a unkempt stubble. Horatio only just remembered his name.

"All right, Matthews!" he cried out, paying no attention to the man's biting grin. "Where are the others? Go up on deck!"

He rushed up the companionway with his men behind him.

By the time they took their place near the plank further back from the guns, the French frigate was in clear sight. They could read her name: Neptun, announced the winding letters.

"Damned pirates!" murmured Matthews behind Horatio. "They've attacked so many English merchant ships. But now they will pay for it!"

The marines took out their pistols and cutlasses. The deckrumbled as the cannons were pushed to their places. The sailors were looking at the enemy ship with resolution but there was no fear on theirfaces. The Neptun fired the first volleyHoratio heardonly the bangand then pieces of wood were showering onto the deck. Smoke covered the French ship and her crew. There was a series of explosions, the Raisonable shuddered and acrid, white fog covered the deck. Horatio clutched his ear with fright.

"Nothing, sir!" said Matthews. "That was our fire."

As the two ships came closer to each other, the volleys became more frequent and they were causing more damage. The shuddering of the deck and the showering of splinters were continuous but there were screams of people already. Horatio turned when he heard the
first cry of pain. On the deck a marine writhed, his red blood shining through the smoke Horatio quickly tore his eyes away because he felt sick. A cannon-ball hit the mainsail-yard which fell on the deck,tangled in linen and rope.

"Clear the deck!" shouted someone. Sailors ran up with hatchets in their hands. They cut it into pieces quickly and scatteredit in the water. The next volley of theNeptun ripped two gun-ports into one. Shouts of fear and pain were heard from the tween-decks"I believe that a frigate is no match for a ship of the Line!" thought Horatiofearfully.

"For God's sake!" came Captain Suckling's voice from the quarterdeck. „Give them what for!"

The next volleys caused terrible damage on the Neptun. One shot totally devastated the foremast, an othertore into the windows of the stern and showered splinters all over the place. In the next moment shrill clapping was heared from the Neptun, and Horatio felt as though a bee was buzzing near his ear. The marines of the Raisonable stopped firing immediately.

"Grapple her!" shouted Captain Suckling. Ropes and hooks flew to the deck of the enemy frigate. The two ships ran into each other with a grating sound.

"Attack them!" roared the captain.

"Attack them!" screamed Horatio and he jumped onto the deck of the Neptun with his men. He fired his pistol and a Frenchman fell down dead in front of him. He leapt over him, pulled out his sword and threw himself into the battle. A strange fighting spirit came over him. He was brandishing his weapon like a madman, releasing all his fear and excitement at once. He was attacking and defending like a experienced swordsman There was a big crowd around him. Almost every stroke he made caused a wound. For a moment he saw Pellew, wrestling with a sturdy sailor, who was thrashing a bar about. Hot blood splattered on his hand, but he didn't feel sick now. A French marine dashed against him, Horatio jumped aside, but he stumbled on a rope, and fell over. He tried to stand up but the Frenchman stood over him with a cutlass in his hand.

"Oh my God!" thought the boy. But the marine suddenly groaned and collapsed. Matthews was smiling behind him.

"Thank you!" said the midshipman but the sounds of the battle drownedhis voice.

There weren't as many men around him now. He climbed up the quarterdeck ladderand looked down on the men fighting. The battle was nearly overMost of the Neptun's crew surrendered. Horatio caught sight of Sawyer who was down on his knees,trying to strangle a French artilleryman.

"Why doesn't he use his sword?" asked the boy from himself. But now the last resistance fighters threw down their weapons.

"We won!" shouted someone in English.

"Huzzah!" answered a choir oftired but happy voices.

"Did we win?" Horatio looked around . There were as many French dead on the deck as English, in his opinion. But he felt something warm around his heart.

He started cheering with the others.

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Again, I'm sorry, and I warn you the next chapter will come late too!