e round shot that went
ricochetting over the sea.

"That will stop him," I said gloomily.

"No, it will not," said Bigley angrily. "You don't know my father.
He'll keep on as long as the lugger will swim."

I shook my head as I strained my eyes at the exciting chase going on
before me.

Bigley was right, for in place of lowering sails in token of submission,
the lugger ran out another from her bows, and kept on her rapid flight,
altering her course though, so as not to offer so fair a mark to the
cutter, and the cutter seemed to spit out viciously another puff of
white smoke, and then there was a dull thud and an echo among the rocks.

We could not trace the course of the shot, but it evidently did not hit
its mark, the first having probably been aimed ahead.

"They can't hit her," cried Bigley, clapping his hands. "Oh, I wish I
was aboard."

"What, to be shot at?" I said.

"Let them shoot!" he cried. "I should like to be there. Now, then,
what did I tell you? The cutter is not going half so fast now."

He was quite right, for, as the white-sailed vessel got beyond the
entrance to the Gap, she was more and more under the shelter of the huge
headland and the mighty cliffs that ran on for miles, and instead of
lying over so that we half expected to see her keel, she rode more
steadily and upright in the water, and her speed was evidently far less.

Another white puff of smoke, and another shot sent skipping after the
lugger, but with what result we could not see. The firing made no
difference, though, to the lugger, which continued its course towards
the west, and Bigley gave me a triumphant look from time to time.

The firing had now become regular, and had brought down all the miners
from the pit, and Mother Bonnet, to see the exciting chase. One climbed
up the side of the Gap here, another there, and then higher and higher,
and seeing the advantageous position they occupied I turned quickly to
Bigley.

"Run and get the glass, Big," I said, "and then we'll climb right up to
the top of the head."

Big shook his head.

"Father has it in the lugger," he said; "but let's climb up all the
same."

We knew the ways of the great headland better than the people, and were
about to start upon our climb when Mother Bonnet came up and caught
Bigley's arm.

"Think they'll get away, Master Big?" she whispered with her face
mottled with white blotches.

"I'm sure of it," he cried triumphantly. "It will s