y without paying them a visit.

The farther the raft got from the shore the more rapidly it glided
along, the sea being too smooth in any way to impede its progress.

Bill's whole attention was taken up in steering, so as to keep the raft
right before the wind.

Presently Jack cried out, "There's a boat coming out of the harbour.
She's just hoisted her sail, and a whacking big sail it is. She's
coming after us. Oh! Bill! what shall we do?"

"Try to keep ahead of her," answered Bill, glancing round for a moment.
"The Frenchmen may not think it worth while to chase us far, even if
they are in chase of us, and that's not certain. Don't let us cry out
before we are hurt. Get out the oars, they'll help us on a little, and
we'll do our best to escape. I don't fancy being shut up again, or
perhaps being carried off to a prison, and forced into a dungeon, or
maybe shot, for they'll declare that we are escaped prisoners."

Jack did not, however, require these remarks to make him pull with all
his might; still he could not help looking back occasionally. He was
standing up, it should be understood, rowing forward, with the oars
crossing, the larboard oar held in the right hand, and the starboard in
the left.

"The boat's coming on three knots to our one," he cried out. "It won't
take her long to be up with us."

"Pull away," again cried Bill. "We'll hold on till the Frenchmen begin
to fire. If their bullets come near us, it will be time to think
whether it will be worth running the risk of being shot."

Jack continued to row with might and main, and the raft went wonderfully
fast over the water. It was too evident, however, that the boat was in
pursuit of them, and in a few minutes a musket ball splashed into the
water a short distance astern of the raft.

"That shows that they are in earnest," said Jack. "We had better lower
the sail, another might come aboard us."

"Hold all fast, perhaps they are getting tired of chasing us, and may
give it up when they see that we are determined to get away," replied
Bill; not that he had much hope that this was the case, but he stuck to
the principle of not giving in as long as there was a chance of escape.

Jack had plenty of courage, but he did not like being fired at without
the means of returning the compliment.

Another shot from the boat came whistling close to them.

"It's of no use," cried Jack, "we must lower the sail."

"If you're afraid, take in the oar