t badly
on a wind, though no vessel is faster before it.

The lofty canvas of the corvette gave her an advantage over the dhows,
whose sails occasionally hung down from their yards, almost emptied of
wind.

"We shall soon get them within range of our long gun," said the
commander, as he stood eagerly watching the vessels ahead. "Stand by,
Mr Hanson, to lower the boats; we shall be able to do so with this
breeze without heaving to."

"Is the gun all ready forward?" he asked a few minutes later.

"Aye, aye, sir," was the answer. His practised eye assured him that the
stern most dhow was within range of the long gun.

"We'll make that fellow lower his canvas, and then see what cargo he
carries," said the commander. "Send a shot across his forefoot, and if
that doesn't stop him we'll try to knock away that big yard of his. All
ready there forward?"

"Aye, aye, sir!"

"Fire!"

The missile flew from the mouth of the gun, and was seen to strike the
surface so close to the dhow as to send the spray over her low bows.
Still she held on her course. The gun was run in and reloaded.

"Give her another shot!" cried the commander; "and if they don't bring
to, the Arabs must take the consequences."

The second lieutenant, who had been carefully taking the range, obeyed
the order. The shot was seen to touch the water twice before it
disappeared, but whether it struck the dhow seemed doubtful. Again the
gun was got ready, but this time was aimed at the next vessel ahead,
which almost immediately lowered her sails, the one astern following her
example.

"Let Mr Rhymer, with a midshipman, shove off and take possession of
those two vessels, while we stand after the others. We must try and bag
the whole of them, for I suspect they all have slaves on board,"
observed the commander.

"Garth, do you accompany Rhymer," said Mr Hanson. "Take care that the
Arabs don't play you any trick."

The ship was moving so steadily over the smooth water that there was no
necessity to stop her way, though even then it required care in lowering
the boat. The crew with the two young officers were soon in her, the
oars were got out, and away she pulled after the sternmost dhow, while
the ship stood on in chase of the remainder of the fleet. The crew of
the boat gave way, eager to secure their prize. Scarcely, however, had
they got half-way to the nearest, than the breeze freshened up again,
and the corvette's speed was so increased