ng at daybreak, two
vessels were seen about four miles away to the southward. One was a
brig, the other a schooner.

The _Lilly_ instantly made sail towards them, setting all the canvas she
could spread. As soon as she was seen, the schooner made sail,
evidently to escape her. The breeze freshened, and she was soon up with
the brig, which was seen to be an English merchant-vessel. As they
passed her a voice hailed--

"We have been plundered by a privateer or pirate, and should have had
our throats cut, had not you come up."

"We will return to you as soon as we can catch her," answered Captain
Trevelyan, not wishing to run the risk of losing the privateer by
heaving-to at that time.

Accordingly, the _Lilly_ stood on. Though the schooner was a fast
vessel, the _Lilly_, bringing up the breeze, was quickly overhauling
her. As the corvette drew near, the schooner was seen to have her decks
crowded with men; and presently, to show that she was not about to yield
without a struggle, a couple of shot were fired from her after-guns.
They were evidently aimed with the hopes of cutting away some of the
_Lilly's_ rigging. The corvette replied with her bowchasers, the
schooner firing again and again in return.

Several of the best marksmen on board tried their hands, in the hopes of
knocking away some of the schooner's rigging instead. At length Mr
Collinson stepped up to the gun. He fired, and down came the schooner's
mainsail. He had shot away the jaws of the maingaff.

A shout rose from the deck of the English ship. On she stood, with her
broadside ready to rake her antagonist, who had fallen off before the
wind. Just as she was about to deliver her fire, a man jumped into the
main rigging and shouted out--

"We surrender!" the French flag having already come down with the peak.

"Lower your sails, then, and we will send a boat on board," cried
Captain Trevelyan.

Mr Collinson instantly jumped into the boat which was lowered, and
boarded the schooner. Her crew were a motley set of Frenchmen,
Spaniards, mulattoes, and blacks. They cast anything but pleasant looks
at their captors, and it was very evident that if they had dared they
would have hove them quickly overboard again.

Mr Collinson having received the sword of their commander, ordered them
to prepare to quit the vessel. The other boats of the corvette were
very quickly alongside with armed crews, who began at once to remove the
people from th