A RESCUE.

While some of the crew were engaged on deck, others, led by the second
lieutenant, the boatswain, and Rayner, ascended the rigging with buckets
of water to heave over the sails, which in several places had caught
fire.

It was a work of extreme peril, but it was quickly accomplished, before
much damage had been done. The ship all the time was standing on, her
starboard tacks aboard.

Nearly a quarter of an hour had elapsed before any one could look in the
direction where their late antagonist had floated.

A few dark fragments of wreck could alone be seen in the far distance,
but no one supposed that any human beings could have escaped from the
fearful catastrophe. The _Lily_ was quickly put to rights and stood on
in chase of the stranger, which was now seen, under a press of sail,
standing away to the north-west.

Evening was approaching, and it was feared that if she wished to avoid
the risk of an engagement, she might manage to escape in the night.

During the first part of it the atmosphere was tolerably clear, and the
chase could dimly be seen in the distance. She was carrying all sail,
evidently doing her best to escape. The _Lily_ had all her canvas set,
but as at night a squall cannot be seen, as in the daytime, coming
across the ocean, all hands were kept on deck, ready to take it in at a
moment's notice.

"Are we gaining on the chase?" asked the commander, when the second
lieutenant, who had just before gone forward, returned.

"I think so, sir; but unless the breeze freshens, it will be a long time
before we can get her within range of our guns."

Everything that could be thought of was done to make the corvette move
through the water. The sails were wetted, the hammocks were piped down,
and the watch were ordered to turn in, with a couple of round shot with
each, under the idea that as the hammocks swung forward with the surge
of the ship, her speed would be increased.

The privateers were at that time committing so much havoc among the
English merchantmen, that it was of the greatest importance to stop
their career.

As the night drew on, the crescent moon, which had before been affording
some light, sank beneath the horizon, and the darkness increased, a mist
gradually filling the atmosphere, and obscuring all objects around. The
chase was thus shut out from view. Still the _Lily_ continued standing
in the direction she had last been seen.

Rayner was on the forecastle nea