. The
pirates by this time were not a quarter of a mile astern. Presently the
lighter canvas, which had hung down against the masts, bulged out, and
then the topsails filled.

"All hands trim sails!" shouted the captain.

The breeze came from the eastward; the yards were squared, and the
_Intrepid_ began to move through the water. She glided on but slowly;
the pirates were still gaining on us. The wind, however, freshened.

As we watched our pursuers, first one raised a mast and a long taper
yard, then another, and they were soon under all sail standing after us.
The breeze increased; we gave a cheer, hoping soon to get well ahead of
them. Still on they came, and it seemed very doubtful whether we should
succeed. I believe that some of the crew would rather have had a fight
than have escaped without it.

The pirates, by keeping their oars moving, still gained on us. To look
at the captain, one might have supposed that it was a matter of
indifference to him whether they came alongside or not, but our cargo
was too valuable to risk the chance of being lost. We had soon
studding-sails rigged below and aloft. Again the wind dropped, and the
pirates were now almost within musket shot.

"We will slew round one of our guns, and run it through the after port,
Griffiths," said the captain. "A shot or two will teach the rascals
what to expect should they come up to us."

Just, however, as we had got the gun run out the wind again freshened.
The _Intrepid_, deep in the water though she was, showed that she had
not lost her power of sailing. Though the pirates were straining every
nerve, we once more drew ahead of them. The more the breeze increased
the faster we left them astern, and by the time the sun had set we had
got fully four miles ahead, but still by going aloft we could see them
following, evidently hoping that we should be again becalmed, and that
they might get up with us. During the night we continued our course for
Timor. At the usual hour the watch below turned in, though the captain
remained on deck, and a sharp look-out was kept astern. However, as
long as the breeze continued we had no fear of being overtaken.

It was my morning watch. As soon as it was daylight I went aloft, and
saw the proas the same distance off that they had been at nightfall. I
told Mr Griffiths when I came below.

"The rascals still expect to catch us," he said, "but we must hope that
they'll be disappointed. Howev