e helm was
instantly put up, and the brig bore straight away from her pursuer.

"What do you say, Probert? Shall we turn the tables, now, and give
her a pounding?"

"I should like to, sir, nothing better; but it would be dangerous
work. Directly she gets free of that hamper, she will be under
command, and will be able to bring her broadside to play on us; and
if she had luck, and knocked away one of our spars, she would turn
the tables upon us. Besides, even if we made her strike her
colours, we could never take her into port. Strong handed as she
is, we should not dare to send a prize crew on board."

"You are right, Probert--though it does seem a pity to let her go
scot free, when we have got her almost at our mercy."

"Not quite, sir. Look there."

The lugger had managed to bring her head sufficiently up into the
wind for her broadside guns to bear, and the shot came hurtling
overhead. The yard of the main-topsail was cut in sunder, and the
peak halliard of the spanker severed, and the peak came down with a
run. They could hear a faint cheer come across the water from the
lugger.

"Leave the guns, lads, and repair damages!" the captain shouted.

"Throw off the throat halliards of the spanker, get her down, and
send a hand up to reef a fresh rope through the blocks, Mr.
Probert.

"Joe, take eight men with you, and stow away the topsail. Send the
broken yard down.

"Carpenter, see if you have got a light spar that will do, instead
of it. If not, get two small ones, and lash them so as to make a
splice of it."

In a minute the guns of the lugger spoke out again but, although a
few ropes were cut away, and some more holes made in the sails, no
serious damage was inflicted and, before they were again loaded,
the spanker was rehoisted. The lugger continued to fire, but the
brig was now leaving her fast. As soon as the sail was up, the
pivot gun was again set to work; and the lugger was hulled several
times but, seeing that her chance of disabling the brig was small,
she was again brought before the wind.

In half an hour a new topsail yard was ready, and that sail was
again hoisted. The Antelope had now got three miles away from the
lugger. As the sail sheeted home, the second mate shouted, from
aloft:

"There is a sail on the weather bow, sir! She is close hauled, and
sailing across our head."

"I see her," the captain replied.

"We ought to have noticed her before, Mr. Probert. We have all been
so b