to the system.

The privateer soon showed us that she had a remarkably fast pair of
heels, and it became doubtful, after a couple of hours' chase, whether
we had gained much, if anything on her. Sometimes the wind increased,
and then our greater size and wider spread of canvas gave us the
advantage, so that our hopes of capturing her rose and fell somewhat as
did the breeze.

We had the whole of the day before us, and a day it was of no little
excitement. We kept the lead, our consorts following, one on either
quarter, to be ready to cut her off, should the breeze shift, and place
her to windward. Hour after hour passed, and still we were no nearer to
her.

"What chance have we of getting hold of her?" said I to Grampus, who was
standing with me forward, keeping a look-out on her.

"Why, sir, do ye see a stern chase is a long chase, as every one knows,
but a flaw of wind or a bit of a calm, or somewhat of that sort, may
throw her into our power, so that from all I've seen, and you know
that's not a little, Mr Hurry, I says never give up a-following an
enemy as long as you can keep eyes on her. When once you loses sight of
her, why, then its all guess-work, and a chance that you ever claps eyes
on her again."

I ever after remembered Grampus's observations both when chasing and
being chased, and frequently experienced their practical wisdom.
Everything was done to increase the speed of the ships, the sails were
drenched with water, so that not a whistle full could escape through
them, and the hammocks were slung, and shot placed in them, but all was
apparently at first to little purpose.

"The rogues are laughing at us," said Delisle, as he and I paced the
deck together, "I wish we could get a calm, and have a chance of
boarding them with the boats. They would give us some warm work though,
I suspect."

"I should hope so," said I. "I have always preferred the excitement of
downright fighting to the sort of work we have lately had off
Providence."

"I should think so, indeed!" said he. "I have often thought that if I
were made a prisoner, I should die of ennui. How people can exist shut
up within the walls of a dungeon has always puzzled me."

We afterwards had good reason to remember this conversation, and he,
poor fellow, sadly to his cost. While we had been speaking, dark clouds
had been gathering in the north-west. They now began to form a thick
and heavy bank, which rose gradually higher and hi