e by the revenue-cutter
_Active_. Mr Appleboy went up to have a look at them, ordered the
cutter to be hove to, and then went down to finish his allowance of
gin-toddy. At twelve o'clock, the yacht _Arrow_ made the Portland
lights, and continued her course, hardly stemming the ebb tide.

Day broke, and the horizon was clear. The first on the look-out were,
of course, the smugglers; they, and those on board the revenue-cutter,
were the only two interested parties--the yacht was neuter.

"There are two cutters in sight, sir," said Corbett, who had the watch;
for Pickersgill, having been up the whole night, had thrown himself down
on the bed with his clothes on.

"What do they look like?" said Pickersgill, who was up in a moment.

"One is a yacht, and the other may be; but I rather think, as far as I
can judge in the grey, that it is our old friend off here."

"What! Old Appleboy?"

"Yes, it looks like him; but the day has scarcely broke yet."

"Well, he can do nothing in a light wind like this; and before the wind
we can show him our heels: but are you sure the other is a yacht?" said
Pickersgill, coming on deck.

"Yes; the king is more careful of his canvas."

"You're right," said Pickersgill, "that is a yacht; and you're right
there again in your guess--that is the stupid old _Active_ which creeps
about creeping for tubs. Well, I see nothing to alarm us at present,
provided it don't fall a dead calm, and then we must take to our boats
as soon as he takes to his; we are four miles from him at least. Watch
his motions, Corbett, and see if he lowers a boat. What does she go
now? Four knots?--that will soon tire their men."

The positions of the three cutters were as follows:--

The _Happy-go-lucky_ was about four miles off Portland Head, and well
into West Bay. The revenue-cutter was close to the Head. The yacht was
outside of the smuggler, about two miles to the westward, and about five
or six miles from the revenue-cutter.

"Two vessels in sight, sir," said Mr Smith, coming down into the cabin
to Mr Appleboy.

"Very well," replied the lieutenant, who was _lying_ down in his
_standing_ bed-place.

"The people say one is the _Happy-go-lucky_, sir," drawled Smith.

"Heh? What! _Happy-go-lucky_? Yes, I recollect; I've boarded her
twenty times--always empty. How's she standing?"

"She stands to the westward now, sir; but she was hove to, they say,
when they first saw her."

"Then she has a c