ssel seemed
threatening to go down, bow foremost.

"Our great endeavour was to round the headland, which forms the southern
shore of the Shannon's mouth. There is a small sound there, between this
point and the rocks, they call the 'Blasquets,' and for this we were
making with all our might. Thus passed our night, and when day broke, a
cheer of joy burst from our little crew, as we beheld the Blasquets on
our weather bow, and saw that the sound lay straight before us. Scarce
had the shout died away, when a man in the rigging cried out--

"'A sail to windward:' and the instant after added--'a man-of-war brig.'

"The skipper sprang on the bulwark, and setting his glass in the
shrouds, examined the object, which, to the naked eye, was barely a haze
in the horizon.

"'She carries eighteen guns,' said he slowly, 'and is steering our
course. I say, O'Kelly, there's no use in running in shore, to be
pinioned,--what's to be done?'

"The thought of the information I was in possession of, flashed across
me. Life was never so dear before, but I could not speak. I knew the
old man's all, was on the venture, I knew, too, if we were attacked, his
resolve was to fight her to the last spar that floated.

"'Come,' said he again, 'there's a point more south'ard in the wind; we
might haul her close, and make for Galway Bay. Two hours would land the
cargo, at least enough of it, and if the craft must go--'

"A heavy squall struck us as he spoke; the vessel reeled over, till
she laid her channels in the sea. A snap like the report of a shot was
heard, and the topmast came tumbling down upon the deck, the topsail
falling to leeward, and hanging by the bolt-ropes over our gunwale. The
little craft immediately fell off from the wind, and plunged deeper
than ever in the boiling surf; at the same instant a booming sound swept
across the water, and a shot striking the sea near, ricochetted over the
bowsprit, and passed on, dipping and bounding, towards the shore.

"'She's one of their newly-built ones,' said the second-mate, an
Irishman, who chewed his quid of tobacco as he gazed at her, as coolly,
as if he was in a dock-yard. 'I know the ring of her brass guns.'

"A second and a third flash, followed by two reports, came almost
together, but this time they fell short of us, and passed away in our
wake.

"We cut away the fallen rigging, and seeing nothing for it, now, but to
look to our own safety, we resolved to run the vessel up the