flying through the _Aurora's_ rigging, cutting
the main-brace pennant, and passing through the head of the foresail.
The lee main-yard-arm at once flew forward, throwing the main-sail
aback, and of course seriously interfering with the barque's flight.

"Up with your helm and keep her away until the main-sail fills again,"
commanded George; "haul inboard the brace, and one hand get a
marlinespike and jump aloft to make the splice. Be smart, lads; there's
no great harm done."

Ritson was, in the meantime, busy aft with the gun; and presently he
fired again, pitching the shot fairly on the schooner's forecastle,
where some of her crew were busy with the cut stay.

On board the _Aurora_ the main-brace was very soon spliced; after which
Captain Leicester had the mizzen, gaff-topsail, and, in short, every
stitch of canvas that would draw, set to the freshening breeze; then,
inquiry having elicited the fact that tea--or supper, as the men termed
it--was ready, he ordered the crew to knock off and take the meal whilst
they had the opportunity.

George and the two mates had their meal served on deck, the top of the
skylight doing duty for a table; and they were about half-way through
with it when the pirate schooner was seen to once more haul her wind in
pursuit. This, however, gave them no immediate apprehension, as she was
far out of gun-shot; the breeze was still steadily freshening, and the
_Aurora_ was plunging along at a racing pace over the short sea which
had already been raised, with the wind humming merrily through her
rigging, and a great foaming surge hissing and buzzing under her lee bow
and streaming out in a long trail of bubbling froth behind her.

"We're going to have a fresh breeze to-night, I think, sir," remarked
the chief mate, as he helped himself to another slab of salt junk, "and,
if it'll only come fresh enough to oblige us to stow our royals, I think
that, on an easy bowline--our best point of sailing--we shall be able to
fairly run away from that chap."

"Yes," said George, "I believe we shall. And if we can only get weather
which will give us the advantage over her in the matter of speed, I
shall feel very much inclined to turn the tables on her, and give her a
good wholesome lesson. It struck me that our gun threw its shot
considerably further than hers did."

"I'm _sure_ it did," emphatically corroborated Ritson; "and it'd be
doin' a real service to give the piccarooning rascals a thorou