at the schooner, finding
she had met with unexpected resistance, had sheered off, gave a loud
cheer.

"The last you will ever give, my fine fellows!" observed Cain, with a
sneer.

In a few moments the schooner had run a mile astern of the ship.

"Now then, Hawkhurst, let her come too and about; man the long gun, and
see that every shot is pitched into her, while the rest of them get up a
new foretopmast, and knot and splice the rigging."

The schooner's head was again turned towards the ship; her position was
right astern, about a mile distant or rather more; the long 82-pounder
gun amidships was now regularly served, every shot passing through the
cabin-windows, or some other part of the ship's stern, raking her fore
and aft. In vain did the ship alter her course, and present her
broadside to the schooner; the latter was immediately checked in her
speed, so as to keep the prescribed distance at which the carronades of
the ship were useless, and the execution from the long gun decisive.
The ship was at the mercy of the pirate; and, as may be expected, no
mercy was shown. For three hours did this murderous attack continue,
when the gun, which, as before observed, was of brass, became so heated
that the pirate-captain desired his men to discontinue. Whether the
ship had surrendered or not it was impossible to say, as it was too dark
to distinguish: while the long gun was served, the foretop-mast and
main-gaff had been shifted, and all the standing and running rigging
made good; the schooner keeping her distance, and following in the wake
of the ship until daylight.

We must now repair on board of the ship; she was an Indiaman; one of the
very few that occasionally are sent out by the Portuguese government to
a country which once owned their undivided sway, but in which, at
present, they hold but a few miles of territory. She was bound to Goa,
and had on board a small detachment of troops, a new governor and his
two sons, a bishop and his niece, with her attendant. The sailing of a
vessel with such a freight was a circumstance of rare occurrence, and
was, of course, generally bruited about long before her departure. Cain
had, for some months, received all the necessary intelligence relative
to her cargo and destination; but, as usual with the Portuguese of the
present day, delay upon delay had followed, and it was not until about
three weeks previous that he had been assured of her immediate
departure. He then