peed of some two
and a half knots per hour, heading up nearly due north, while the lugger
and the brig at the same time kept away, in the hope apparently of
intercepting us, and the ship despatched two of her boats to the rescue
of their helpless compatriots adrift in the frigate's boats.

The lugger, which was a very fine and evidently very fast vessel of her
class, was making desperate efforts to close with us, with such success
that at the end of another half-hour it became evident that, unless the
light and fickle breeze freshened somewhat in the interim, another
couple of hours would see her within gun-shot of us. This, however,
gave us no concern whatever, for we were far more than a match for her
alone, and although the brig also was doing her best, we were both
drawing away from her so steadily that we of the _Dolphin_ quite
reckoned upon being able in due time to fight and take the lugger before
her consort could come up to her assistance.

Six bells in the forenoon watch had just struck when the frigate blew up
with a dull, heavy boom, not nearly so loud as I had expected to hear,
but the concussion was terrific, causing the schooner to quiver to her
keel, while its effect upon the languid breeze was such as to completely
kill it for three or four minutes. At the end of that time it came
creeping stealthily along the water again, and about half an hour later
it reached the lugger, which immediately laid in her sweeps and hauled
close to the wind in pursuit of us. We were at this time under all
plain sail, to our royal and flying-jib, creeping along at a speed of
about four and a half knots, the lugger being about a point abaft our
lee beam and two miles distant from us, but looking up about half a
point higher than ourselves, in her eagerness to close with us. By noon
it had become apparent that we had the advantage in point of speed, so
that it lay with us to make good our escape, or not, as we pleased. We
had, however, lost one valuable prize, through the inopportune
appearance of the lugger and her consorts, and were by no means disposed
to go off empty-handed, if we could help it. We therefore quietly and
unostentatiously checked our sheets and weather braces just sufficiently
to permit the wind to all but spill out of our canvas, thus deadening
our way somewhat; and the men then went to dinner.

Our little ruse had its desired effect, the lugger having closed up to
within a mile by the time that t