be kept upon
half-rations until they chose to speak, they said that they had expected
to meet the corvette almost midway between the Falkland Islands and Cape
Virzins, at the eastern mouth of the Straits; also that both captains
had mistaken the _Angamos_ for the _Union_ when they first sighted her.
Jim could not understand how it was that in that case there were no
signs of the corvette, but he determined not to leave the locality until
he had found her and brought her to action.

With the _Miraflores_ steaming along in his wake, in the same formation
as that adopted by the gun-running steamers, Jim started off on his
search for the _Union_, heading west-south-west for the mouth of the
Straits of Magellan, with a man at either masthead of each of the two
vessels, and a prize of fifty _pesos_ to the seaman who should first
sight her. He did not feel altogether happy at the idea of sailing
under the Peruvian flag and adopting such a ruse, even for a short
period; but his orders to capture or sink the _Union_ were precise and
imperative, and he considered that, in this case at least, the end
justified the means employed, for he knew that he would never succeed in
getting alongside the corvette if her captain were once allowed to
entertain the slightest suspicion that the two ships were Chilians.
True, the _Angamos_ was a faster ship; but the _Union_ drew far less
water; and, since she would probably be found--if found at all--
somewhere among the shoal waters of the Straits, she might be able to
get away by dodging into shallow water among the numerous islands, where
the _Angamos_, with her deeper draught, would be unable to follow.

Darkness fell very shortly after the two ships had started on their run
toward the Straits; and the lanterns on their foremasts were lighted
after the same manner as on the previous night; while they surged along
over the indigo-coloured water at the rate of about nine knots an hour,
a sharp look-out being maintained meanwhile for the appearance of the
_Union_. But to the great disappointment of everybody, that craft most
persistently refused to put in an appearance; and when the next morning
dawned the high, rocky cliffs of Tierra del Fuego and the Patagonian
coast lay before them, and it became evident that the Peruvian had
either retreated up the Straits, or that she was still behind them.

About nine o'clock the two ships, still flying the Peruvian colours,
entered the Straits, and i