ark
hull of the corvette, lighted up by the rays of the setting sun, making
her appear so much nearer than she really was, that he wondered she did
not fire a shot to make the lugger heave to. He had no cowardly fears
on the subject, but he again thought that he should have acted more
wisely had he stowed himself away safely on shore, instead of coming on
board the lugger. The corvette looked so powerful, that it seemed to
him that a single broadside from her guns, would send the _Nancy_ with
all on board to the bottom. He observed, however, that Dore walked the
deck with as calm an air as usual, all the time, however, narrowly
eyeing the king's ship, ready to take advantage of any change which
might occur.

"We shall have darkness down upon us soon, and then we will show yonder
fellow a trick or two. He wants to jam us up against the English coast;
but we are not to be so caught," he observed to his mate, Ned Langdon.

The breeze had freshened considerably, and was now blowing so strong,
that the lugger could, on a wind, with difficulty carry her topsails,
which were still set. The corvette had handed her royals, presently she
took in her topgallant sails. She had lately been gaining on the
lugger. Dick, with the rest of his companions, seldom had his eyes off
her; the darkness was increasing, and her outline was becoming less and
less distinct. Presently he saw a bright flash dart from her bows, and
the roar of a gun reached his ears. The shot, however, had fallen
short. The smugglers laughed.

"You may blaze away, but you won't do us much harm!" observed Dore.

Another and another shot followed. The commander of the cruiser
evidently wished to make the lugger heave to. If he had before had
doubts of her character, he must now have been thoroughly satisfied as
to what she was, and would become more eager to capture her.

"Stand by, my lads, to make sail!" cried Dore. "Keep up the helm, Tom,
and hoist away on the squaresail!"

The lugger was put before the wind, running considerably faster than she
had hitherto been doing through the water. The corvette must have
observed her change of course, as she also kept away, and once more her
topgallant sails were loosed. It was too dark to observe how the masts
stood the pressure.

"I only wish that they would set the royals; with this breeze there
would be a good chance of the spars being carried away," said Dore.

It was very doubtful whether the corv