o
far astern of her seemed to render it exceedingly doubtful whether she
would not, after all, make good her escape. The fear that she would do
so was still further strengthened when at midnight we made Cape Frehel
light, with the chase still leading by a full eight miles; the only
chance in our favour being that, as the bearing of the light proved, the
Indiaman was some three miles to windward of her course, and would have
to bear away for it, while we were heading for Saint Malo as straight as
we could go. As the night passed on, however, our hopes rose somewhat,
for the weather cleared, while the wind softened down; and with the
softening of the wind it became apparent that we were gaining more
rapidly.

As the time wore on so did the chase grow increasingly exciting, our
hopes every moment strengthening, until at length, by three bells in the
middle watch, they had merged into a conviction that nothing short of a
miracle could save the Indiaman from recapture. Some such conviction
must also have forced itself upon the mind of the officer in charge of
her, for just after four bells had been struck we saw him suddenly take
in his studdingsails and haul his wind, having apparently decided that
he must inevitably be taken if he persisted in his endeavour to get into
Saint Malo. By the direction in which he was now steering it seemed
probable that he had determined to seek shelter in one of the
indentations to the westward of Frehel, many of which were at that time
defended by earthwork batteries for the protection of the French
coasting craft from our cruisers and privateers.

This move on the part of the Indiaman's prizemaster proved the man to be
possessed of both sagacity and foresight, for it threw us at once some
four miles to leeward of him and compelled us forthwith to take in our
studdingsails and brace sharp up in order to follow him, while he was
now so close to the land that there was every prospect of his being able
to get in and anchor under the shelter of a battery before we could
overtake him. And that, in the end, was precisely what occurred; for
when at length we weathered Cape Frehel we were just in time to see him
entering Pleher Bay, where he presently rounded-to, clewed up his
canvas, and let go his anchor.

Naturally, Captain Vavassour was not the sort of man to see a possible
rich prize riding at anchor in the enemy's waters without making a
determined attempt to secure possession of her;