as you are told. You have done us good
service, tonight; and have earned your keep on board the brig, if
you were to stop here till she fell to pieces of old age."

When Bob went up in the morning, at five o'clock, the three Spanish
vessels were still lying at anchor under the land, seven or eight
miles away.

"There is a breeze coming," Joe said, "and it is from the south, so
we shall get it long before they do. We shall see no more of them."

As soon as the breeze reached them, the sails were braced aft; and
the brig kept as close to the wind as she would sail, lying almost
directly off from the land.

"I want them to think that we are frightened," Captain Lockett
said, in answer to a question from Bob as to the course, "and that
we have decided to get away from their neighbourhood, altogether. I
expect they are only going as far as Alicante. We will run on till
we are well out of sight, then hold on for the rest of the day east
and, in the night, head for land again, beyond Alicante. It would
never do to risk those fellows coming upon us, again, when we are
quietly at anchor. We might not be so lucky, next time."

An hour later the lookout in the top hailed the deck, and said that
there was a sail in sight.

"What does she look like, Halkett?" Joe Lockett shouted, for the
captain was below.

"As far as I can make out she is a two master--I should say, a
brig."

"How is she heading?"

"About northeast, sir. I should say, if we both hold on our
courses, she will pass ahead of us."

The captain was now on deck, and he and the first mate went up to
the top.

"Starboard your helm a bit!" the captain shouted, after examining
the distant sail through his telescope. "Keep her about east."

"What do you think she is, captain?" Bob asked, when the two
officers came down again to the poop.

"I should say that she was a craft about our own size, Bob; and I
fancy she has come through the Straits, keeping well over the other
side, so as to avoid our cruisers from Gib; and is now heading for
Alicante. Now we are on our course again, parallel to the coast,
there is no reason why she should suspect us of being anything but
a trader. If she doesn't take the alarm, I hope we shall be
alongside her in a few hours."

Chapter 11: Cutting Out A Prize.

The distant sail was anxiously watched from the Antelope. It closed
in with them fast, running almost before the wind. In two hours,
her hull could be seen from t