n three hundred yards from
the lugger: and the launch, the nearest of the pursuers, about the same
distance astern of the felucca. Ten minutes more would certainly bring
the seeming combatants alongside of each other.

Raoul ordered the sweeps of le Feu-Follet to be run out and manned. At
the same time her guns, twelve-pound carronades, were cast loose and
primed. Of these she had four of a side, while the two sixes on her
forecastle were prepared for similar service. When everything was ready,
the twelve sweeps dropped into the water, as by a common instinct, and a
powerful effort started the lugger ahead. Her jib and jigger were both
brailed at that instant. A single minute sufficed to teach Winchester
how hopeless pursuit would be in the felucca, if not in the boats
themselves, should the lugger endeavor to escape in this manner; it
being quite practicable for her strong crew to force her through the
water by means of her sweeps alone from three to three and a half knots
in the hour. But flight did not appear to be her object; for her head
was laid toward la Divina Providenza, as if, deceived by the artifice of
the English, she intended to prevent the capture of the felucca and to
cover a friend.

Raoul, however, understood himself far better than this supposition
would give reason to suppose. He swept the lugger up in a line with la
Divina Providenza and the boats, in the first place, as the position in
which she would be the least likely to suffer from the fire of the
latter, well knowing that whatever shot were thrown were purposely sent
so high as to do no mischief, and, in the second place, that he might
bring his enemies in a single range from his own guns. In the mean
while, the felucca and the boats not only continued to use their
carronades, but they commenced on both sides a brisk fire of musketry;
the former being now distant only a hundred yards from le Feu-Follet,
exceedingly hard pressed by her adversaries, so far as appearances were
concerned. There being no wind at all, at this juncture, the little
there had been having been entirely killed by the concussions of the
guns, the sea was getting to be fast covered with smoke; the felucca, in
particular, showing more than common of the wreathy canopy over her
decks and about her spars; for in truth powder was burnt in considerable
quantities in different parts of the vessel with this express object.
Ithuel observed, too, that in the midst of this confusio