crosstrees--to which I ascended for the purpose of getting a good look
at her--she appeared to be one of those immensely beamy, shallow craft,
copied from the slavers; and those vessels, I knew, although they
generally sailed like witches, were often anything but weatherly. Yet I
had heard of vessels thus modelled for the sake of securing speed, and
fitted with a very deep keel to ensure weatherliness, where light
draught of water was not a consideration; and it remained to be seen
whether the brigantine was a craft of this class.

Now that all her canvas was at length set, the heavy loss of men that
she had sustained was no very serious disadvantage to her; for with one
good man to steer her, she would sail as well with a dozen hands as with
a hundred on deck, and there could be no doubt that she was going very
fast through the water. The point now was whether, as we converged
toward each other--as we were now doing, the two craft being on opposite
tacks--we could persuade her, by means of our bow guns, to give in, and
so save us the time that would be consumed in a long stern-chase.

Mr Purvis, the gunner, believed that we could, and, having obtained
permission from the Captain to try his hand, soon proved himself right
by shooting away the chase's fore-topgallant-mast, when the loss of
topgallantsail, royal, and flying-jib so far reduced her speed that it
quickly became evident she must either strike or run the gauntlet of our
entire broadside. She wisely chose the former alternative; and twenty
minutes later she was hove-to, with her topsail aback, on the _Europa's_
lee quarter.

CHAPTER EIGHT.

THE AUDACIEUSE PRIVATEER.

"Mr Delamere," said Captain Vavassour, "take a dozen men, and Mr
Gascoigne, and secure possession of that brigantine, if you please.
Stay a moment,"--as, touching my hat, I was about to dive below for my
chest--"you had better have with you Simmons and Henderson, as two out
of your dozen, to take charge of the watches, and take also two extra
hands to bring back the boat. I will remain hove-to until you have
secured your prisoners below--I have not time to tranship them now; and
when you have done that you will be pleased to bear up and join the
convoy. Now, be as quick as you can, young gentleman, for I am anxious
to be off after that merchantman yonder."

"Ay, ay, sir," I answered, touching my hat and turning away to secure my
crew. I first found Simmons, the carpenter's mate, a