e of our guns. I half expected to see her haul her wind and show
fight. We began to blaze away with our bow-chasers, but she stood
steadily on, taking not the slightest notice of us. Rockets and I had
both tried our hands at a shot, but without effect, so I sent him to the
helm, and called Grampus forward, to see what he could do. More than
once he looked along the gun without firing. "Here goes," he at length
exclaimed, applying the match. I watched eagerly. Away flew the shot--
it struck. I could see the splinters fly, and down came by the run the
main-topmast of the chase. All hands gave a grand hurrah. Still the
chase stood on. In a short time, however, we saw that there was some
confusion on board. The ensign was hauled down--then run up, and then
hauled down again.

Just as we fancied that she was going to heave-to, up went the ensign
once more, and the hands were seen going aloft, to clear away the wreck
of the top-mast.

"What can the fellow be about?" said I; "he cannot hope to escape us."

"Perhaps, sir, he sees a big friend ahead, whom he thinks will come to
his assistance," observed Grampus.

"We must give him another dose, then, to stop him before his friend
appears. Fire low this time!" I exclaimed, for my blood was up at the
thoughts of his escaping us. We yawed a little so as to bring all our
starboard guns to bear. The shot took effect, and there appeared more
confusion than before on deck. "Let them have it again," I sung out;
"this time they must give in!" The guns were loaded, and our people
were about to fire, when, as I was looking through my telescope, I saw
two figures rush on deck, and which instantly made me arrest the order
to fire. They were women. By their gestures they were evidently
endeavouring to persuade the crew to continue their endeavours to escape
or to yield at once. Which it was I could not determine, but while they
remained on deck I could not bring myself again to fire on the vessel.
I hoped that we should be able to capture her without doing her further
injury. On we stood, therefore, as before. The ladies remained on
deck. I kept my eye on them, intending to fire at the schooner's
rigging the moment they went below. I told Grampus my reason for not
firing. "That's right, sir," he answered warmly; "no man who's fit to
be a man ever hurts a woman if he can help it, whether old or young, or
whatever her nation--or black or white. And they, d'ye see,