seen through the night-glasses
cracking on close to the wind, evidently under the impression that we
had tacked.

"Dere she goes, chasing de Gobel," said the Dutchman.

She now burned a blue-light, by which we saw she was a heavy
cutter--without doubt our old fellow-cruiser the Spark. The Dutchman had
come to the same conclusion.

"My eye, captain, no use to dodge from her; it is only dat footy little
King's cutter on de Jamaica station."

"It is her, true enough," answered Williamson; "and she is from Santa
Martha with a freight of specie, I know. I will try a brush with her,
by----"

Splinter struck in before he could finish his irreverent exclamation.
"If your conjecture be true, I know the craft--a heavy vessel of her
class, and you may depend on hard knocks, and small profit if you do
take her; while if she takes you----"

"I'll be hanged if she does"--and he grinned at the conceit--then
setting his teeth hard, "or rather, I will blow the schooner up with my
own hand before I strike; better that than have one's bones bleached in
chains on a key at Port Royal. But you see you cannot control us,
gentlemen; so get down into the cable-tier, and take Peter Mangrove with
you. I would not willingly see those come to harm who have trusted me."

However, there was no shot flying as yet, we therefore stayed on deck.
All sail was once more made; the carronades were cast loose on both
sides, and double-shotted, the long-gun slewed round, the tack of the
fore-and-aft foresail hauled up, and we kept by the wind, and stood
after the cutter, whose white canvas we could still see through the
gloom like a snow-wreath.

As soon as she saw us, she tacked and stood towards us, and came bowling
along gallantly, with the water roaring and flashing at her bows. As the
vessels neared each other they both shortened sail, and finding that we
could not weather her, we steered close under her lee.

As we crossed on opposite tacks, her commander hailed, "Ho, the
brigantine, ahoy!"

"Hillo!" sung out Blackie, as he backed his main-top-sail.

"What schooner is that?"

"The Spanish schooner Caridad."

"Whence, and whither bound?"

"Carthagena to Porto Rico."

"Heave-to, and send your boat on board."

"We have none that will swim, sir."

"Very well, bring-to, and I will send mine."

"Call away the boarders," said our captain, in a low stern tone; "let
them crouch out of sight behind the boat."

The cutter wore, and hove-t