ng
on, but we had got her bearings; and unless she was suspicious of us she
would stand on as she was doing, and perhaps shorten sail to allow us to
come up with her; if so, we had no doubt that we should take her. As it
was fully believed that she would not yield without fighting, the ship
was cleared for action; the crew went to their quarters, and all stood
ready should we sight her, which we might do at any moment.

On glided our ship over the dark waters, her masts towering to the sky
like some phantom of the night. A strange feeling came over me as I
thought that in a few minutes we might be hotly engaged in firing away
at the enemy, round shot and bullets flying about us.

"Sail right ahead, sir!" shouted the second lieutenant from forward. I
looked out eagerly, and saw the tall masts and sails of a ship fully as
large as, if not larger than, the _Heroine_.

"We must speak her before firing, lest we should be engaging a friend,"
I heard the commander observe to Mr Worthy, the first lieutenant. "If
yonder craft is a pirate, she takes us for a merchant vessel, as she
probably knew that no man-of-war of our size was on the station. Don't
fire a shot till I give the order."

After this not a word was spoken. In perfect silence we glided onwards,
rapidly approaching the dark ship, which we could now distinguish
clearly, with her courses brailed up, evidently awaiting us. The
captain's intention was to run up on her starboard quarter, so as to
keep her between us and the land. We were almost within hail, and
expected in another instant to be engaged, when down came her courses,
the yards were braced sharp up, and she stood away on a bowline towards
the coast. On this our helm was immediately put down, and we did the
same, keeping directly after her and firing our bow-chasers. She was
evidently a fast craft, for she rapidly drew ahead of us. The breeze
freshened, and having all sail set, we heeled over till the lee guns
dipped into the water.

"We shall be whipping the masts out of her, if we don't take care," I
heard Mudge observe.

The captain seemed to think the same. "Hand royals and topgallant
sails," he sang out; "be smart, my lads."

The top-men hurried aloft to obey the order, for every one knew there
was no time to be lost. The masts bent like willow wands, and I
expected every moment to see them go over the side. While attending to
shortening sail, the eyes of the officers were withdrawn