e away; we must put a stopper on this work as soon as
possible," he exclaimed.

"Hurrah! see, we've shot away his mizen-halyards."

I did not see it, for I could make nothing out through the fog but a
dark mass moving along on our beam. The order had been given to keep
the helm up and to stand by the mainsheet, in expectation of the
lugger's running off the wind, when, quick almost as thought, the
mizen-halyards were spliced, and the sail was again hoisted up.

"Never mind, my lads; try and wing him again," cried my uncle.

The men answered with a cheer, and several of our shot told. Unhappily,
two more of our people were wounded, though not badly; and as yet we
were no nearer victory than we had been at the commencement of the
fight. I heard my uncle tell Hanks that he had some hopes that the
smugglers were not aware how deep we were running into the bay.

"I'm afraid, sir, those fellows are far too wide awake not to know
exactly where they are," answered Hanks.

"I rather am inclined to think that they have some dodge or other they
intend to practise if they can; and if we don't soon manage to stop
them, they will be wishing us good morning without our leave."

For an instant after he spoke there was a cessation of firing, and then
came a whole broadside of great guns and small-arms concentrated in one
focus, crashing among our rigging. Several of the shot told--the head
of the mainsail was riddled, and down came our peak, the halyards shot
away in two places. The smugglers were not long in discovering our
disaster and the advantage they had gained, and a loud derisive cheer
showed us the triumph they felt. Without the loss of a moment, hands
were sent aloft to reeve fresh halyards; but before the peak could be
got up, the lugger had shot ahead of us, and was rapidly edging up to
windward. Every exertion was made again to set the mainsail; but as we
were swaying up the peak, another iron shower came rattling among us.
One of the hands aloft was hit, and would have fallen on deck, had not
another caught him and helped him down the rigging. It was the last
broadside the smuggler fired, and the next instant we saw him shoot by
our bows, and before we could get a gun over to bear on him, he
disappeared in the fog to the northward. Once well to windward he would
have a decided advantage over us on a long stretch. Luffing as close to
the wind as we could, we stood on for a few minutes in the hope of again
s