crew, as they
perceived the pirate's mizzen-mast fall away.

"She is ours," cried the lieutenant.

"Stand by, men, to take in sail," shouted the captain. "We will draw
near enough," continued he to Morris, "to fire into her at our
leisure, a pirate is not entitled to a more honorable warfare, and he
seems also to greatly outnumber us in men."

As the privateer approached the pirate they could not but admire the
singular beauty of her build. She rose and fell upon the waters as
gracefully as a free and wild ocean bird. The long red lines of her
port-holes swept with a gentle curve from stem to stern, and her stem
was so sharp that the bowsprit seemed rather to terminate than to join
it. Twelve carronades occupied a double row of port-holes, and the
deck seemed crowded with men, all armed with cutlases and pistols.

"A formidable looking set," said Captain Greene, as he laid aside his
glass, "keep the gun lively."

An ineffectual fire opened upon the privateer from the pirate, but
though they had a swivel of pretty heavy calibre, turning on its axis
amidship in such a manner as to menace at will each point of the
horizon, it was evident that its force was far less than the long gun
of the privateer.

A well aimed shot brought down the pirate's fore topsail-yard, which
hung in the slings, and succeeding shots did much injury to her masts
and rigging, and at length the main-topmast fell over the side.

The scene on board the pirate, during this unequal warfare, was one
approaching perplexity and disorder. Their commander stood by the
helm, gazing at the privateer, his brow clouded with angry thought,
and giving little heed to the movements of his crew. He was aroused
from his abstraction by the voice of one of his officers.

"Captain, this is bad business, what is to be done?"

The captain gazed at him in silence.

"The crew are alarmed, and demand of you some relief from this
harassing state. Our guns will not reach the chase, and we cannot
leave her in this crippled state."

At this moment a heavy ball from the privateer whizzed by them and
buried itself in the main-mast of the brig.

The captain seemed fully aroused. His eyes flashed with their wonted
fire. He turned toward his crew, and saw at a glance the state of
depression which had fallen upon them all. He even overheard some
muttered words of complaint.

"Pat," says one, "this seems to be playing a rough game, where nothing
is to be won on our side