last carried on in
a way that seemed even greatly to hazard her safety, he began to fear
that he was suspected. He, however, was determined not to lose sight of
her again, and accordingly made sail in chase, with the hopes of finding
a favourable opportunity to execute his purpose at the termination of
the gale. At length it fell calm, and his vessel lay about four miles
from her.

We have seen that he was a man of extraordinary nerve, and he bethought
him that he would try once more to blind the master and crew of the
_Zodiac_, and, ordering a boat to be manned, he pulled boldly on board
her. Had not Bowse been forewarned, there can be little doubt but that
he would have triumphantly succeeded, and there can be no reflection on
his want of talent either in planning or executing that he did not do
so. Had he known as much as does the reader, he would probably have had
nothing to do with the speronara, which was suspected, but would at once
have run alongside the _Zodiac_ in his own vessel which was unknown.
When he found himself, on his second visit to the _Zodiac_, so nearly
caught in his own net, he pulled back to the _Sea Hawk_, vowing that he
would not again be foiled.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN.

The master of the _Zodiac_, as he laboured without ceasing at the
important work of getting his ship once more in sailing trim, every now
and then glanced at the pretended Austrian with feelings in which the
undaunted courage of the British seaman were fearfully mingled in his
bosom with dark forebodings as to the result of an engagement with an
enemy in every respect so much his superior. His eye would also, ever
and anon, range round the horizon in anticipation of those rising signs
of the coming breeze, which he prayed Heaven might yet be long delayed
till the work was completed, and then that it might come from the
eastward, as it would thus give him the weather gage, and enable him to
manoeuvre to better advantage in the coming fight; for he had already
seen most convincing proof of the superior sailing qualities of the _Sea
Hawk_; that he had no expectations of being able to avoid it, even
should he be able to make sail before the arrival of the breeze. With
voice and example, he cheered on his crew to the work; the topmast had
been got up, and the rigging fitted over its head; but the topsail-yard
was not yet across, and much remained to be done to make their previous
labours of any avail. Bowse himself had tak