were doomed, however, to disappointment; suddenly the mist
cleared off, and the bright rays of the sun exposed to view the topsails
and courses of our pursuer.

"We may still keep ahead of her, and when night comes on give her the
slip," observed Captain Magor; "if not, we will fight her. The men, I
hope, will stand to their guns, and show that they are British seamen.
It will be a disgrace to knock under to piratical villains, such as I
fear are the crew of yonder craft."

"The men are staunch, I'll answer for that," observed Mr Serwin.
"Tubbs has had a talk with them to try their tempers, and he is as true
a fellow as ever stepped."

"That he is; and if you and I and the second mate should be killed, he
will fight the ship as long as a stick is standing," answered the first
mate, showing his appreciation of the boatswain's character. Harry and
I, as we walked the deck, agreed that we would fight to the last, though
we heartily wished that we might escape the stern necessity. Before
long the captain shouted--

"Shake out the reefs in the fore-topsail, my lads."

The topmen flew aloft and the sail was hoisted. Soon afterwards the
captain gave the order to set the fore-topgallantsail.

"We must get preventer braces on it," he observed to the first mate; "it
won't do to run the risk of carrying away the spar."

The additional ropes were quickly secured by the active crew. As they
stood aft watching the sail, it seemed as if at any moment it would
carry away the mast and spar, as, bulging out with the strong breeze, it
strained and tugged in its efforts to free itself, but the sticks were
tough and the ropes which held them sound, and with increased speed the
brig flew before the gale. Two of the best hands were at the wheel, for
any carelessness in steering might in an instant have produced a serious
disaster. The effects of the additional sail were satisfactory, as the
stranger was no longer gaining on us, as she had hitherto done. Still,
as I felt the violent blows given by the seas, now on one quarter, now
on the other, the brig now pitching into a hollow ahead, now rising
rapidly over another sea, then rolling from side to side, I feared that
the masts must be jerked out of her. Harry and I found it scarcely
possible to walk the deck without being tossed about like shuttlecocks,
so that our only resource was to hold fast to the stanchions, or, when
we wanted to move, to catch hold of the bulwarks. As