Three
guns, on each side, are about enough for us to show."

The breeze caught them when the three Spanish craft were nearly
abeam.

"They have more wind, out there, than we shall have here," the
captain said; "which is an advantage, for I don't want to run away
from them.

"Now, get up the anchor, Joe. Don't take too many hands."

The watch below had already been ordered to sit down on the deck,
and half the other watch were now told to do the same.

"Twelve or fourteen hands are quite enough to show," the captain
said.

"The anchor's up, sir," Joe shouted.

"Let it hang there. We will get it aboard, presently.

"Now haul that fore-staysail across, ease off the spanker sheet.

"Now, as she comes round, haul on the braces and sheets, one by
one. Do it in as lubberly a way as you can."

The brig, which had been riding with her head to the west, came
slowly round; the yards being squared in a slow fashion, in strong
contrast to the active way in which they were generally handled.
The captain watched the other craft, carefully.

"The xebec and polacre are gaining on us, but we are going as fast
through the water as the three master. When we get the wind a
little more, we shall have the heels of them all.

"Get a sail overboard, Joe, and tow it under her port quarter.
Don't give her too much rope, or they might catch sight of it, on
board the ship. That will bring us down to her rate of sailing.

"I want to keep a bit astern of them. We dare not attack them in
the daylight; they mount too many guns for us, altogether. That big
fellow has got twelve on a side, the polacre has eight, and the
xebec six, so between them they have fifty-two guns. We might try
it, if they were well out at sea; but it would never do, here.
There may be galleys or gunboats within hearing, so we must bide
our time.

"I think we are in luck, this time, Joe. That ship must have come
foreign; at least, I should say so by her appearance, though she
may be from Cadiz. As to the other two, they may be anything. The
xebec, no doubt, is a coast trader. The polacre may be one thing,
or another, but I should hardly think she has come across the
Atlantic. Likely enough she is from Bilbao or Santander. The ship
is the fellow to get hold of, if we get a chance. I shall be quite
content to leave the others alone."

"I should think so," Joe agreed. "The ship ought to be a valuable
prize, wherever she comes from. If she is sound, and pretty ne