he had last looked at her. The whole trick was
apparent to him at a glance, and he was compelled to acknowledge his own
remissness when he perceived that he lay within the reach of the shot of
his powerful foe, though still so distant as to render her also a little
uncertain, more especially should a set get up. The felucca had burnt
to the water's edge; but, owing to the smoothness of the water, her
wreck still floated and was slowly setting into the bay, there being a
slight current in that direction, where she now lay. The town was
basking in the afternoon's sun, though hid from view, and the whole
island of Elba had the appearance of being asleep.

"What a siesta!" said Raoul to Ithuel, as both stood on the heel of the
bowsprit, looking curiously at the scene: "sea, land, mountains,
bourgeois, and mariners all dozing. _Bien_; there is life yonder at the
west, and we must get further from _votre Proserpine_. Call the hands,
Monsieur Lieutenant. Let us get our sweeps and put the head of le
Feu-Follet the other way. _Peste_! the lugger is so sharp, and has such
a trick of going exactly where she looks, that I am afraid she has been
crawling up toward her enemy, as the child creeps into the fire that
burns its fingers."

All hands were soon in motion on board le Feu-Follet, the sweeps were on
the point of being handled, when the jigger fluttered and the first puff
of the expected western breeze swept along the surface of the waters. To
the seamen it was like inhaling oxygen gas. Every appearance of
drowsiness deserted the people of both vessels, and every one was
instantly busy in making sail. Raoul had a proof into what dangerous
proximity to the frigate he had got by the sound of the calls on board
her, and the stillness of the sea was yet so great that the creaking of
her fore-yard was actually audible to him as the English rounded in
their braces briskly while laying their foretopsail aback.

At that moment a second respiration of the atmosphere gave birth to the
breeze. Raoul whistled for the wind, and the lugger moved ahead, gliding
toward the frigate. But in half a minute she had gathered sufficient
way, her helm was put down, and she came round as easily and as
gracefully as the bird turns on his wing. Not so with the heavier
frigate. She had hauled in her starboard head-braces and had to get the
foretopsail aback, and to pay well off with her head to leeward, in
order to swing her yards and fill her sails, w