ette was gaining on the lugger.
Though the advancing night gradually shrouded her more and more in
gloom, she could still be discerned, her canvas rising up like a dark
phantom stalking over the ocean. The crew of the lugger stood at their
stations, ready at a moment to obey their captain's orders. He kept his
eye on the topsails, though if blown away the accident would not be of
much consequence. The masts were tough, and bent like willow wands.

"They'll hold on as long as we want them now," observed Dore. Again and
again he looked astern. Presently he shouted, "Lower the topsails!
Starboard the helm, Tom! Haul away at the starboard braces!" and the
lugger, on the port tack, stood close hauled to the southward.

The sharpest eyes on board were turned in the direction their pursuer
was supposed to be. Some time passed away.

"There she is!" cried Ben. "Although we see her, she doesn't see us, as
we are stern on, and much lower in the water than she is."

Dick looked with all his might. He could just discern some object
moving along over the water, but so indistinctly that he could not be
certain it was a ship. Still, the commander of the corvette might
suspect that the lugger had changed her course, and changed his also.

"All right!" cried Dore, after watching the phantom-like stranger in the
distance, until she totally disappeared. "She'll not catch us this
cruise."

The lugger was put about, on the starboard tack, and once more stood
towards the English coast.

"Shall we be in to-morrow morning?" asked Dick.

"No, no," answered Ben. "Whatever happens, we shall make the coast at
night, when the revenue men can't see us. We have friends on the
look-out, who will make signals to show us when and where to run in.
The weather is too fine at present, so that we shall have to dodge about
and wait for a dark night, with thick rain or fog; but we don't much
trust fogs, they may lift suddenly and show our whereabouts to those we
do not want to see us. However, we must run some risks. We want to
land our goods in quiet, but if any one interferes with us, we of course
must fight to defend our property. All right and square, you will
understand, but if there's bloodshed, it is the fault of those who wish
to take it from us."

Dick did not ask himself whether Ben was right or wrong. He forgot that
one party were breaking the laws, the other performing their duty in
protecting them.

Next morning, when