wo,
she walking away out to windward of the big fellow as though the latter
had been at anchor the moment that she made sail in answer to our
challenge.

And now ensued a little bit of manoeuvring on both sides, with the
twofold object of discovering whether the stranger happened to be an
enemy, and if so, to secure the weather-gage of him. We had the
advantage, however, as we were running free and could haul our wind at
any moment; and this advantage I kept by hauling up on the starboard
tack and then heaving in stays with the topsail aback, waiting for the
brigantine to close; which she presently did, ranging up within biscuit-
toss of our lee quarter. She was now so close to us that, despite the
darkness, it was quite possible to make out details; and it was with a
feeling of mingled disgust and disappointment that I discovered that,
whatever she might be, she certainly was not Morillo's beautiful but
notorious brigantine.

She was, however, in all probability an enemy,--it seemed to me that, so
far as I could make out in the uncertain light of the partially clouded
stars, she had a French look about her,--so, with the idea of securing
the advantage of the first hail, I sprang upon the rail as she ranged up
alongside, and hailed, in Spanish--

"Ho, the brigantine ahoy! What vessel is that?"

"The _Belle Diane_, French privateer. What schooner is that?" came the
reply, also in Spanish of the most execrable kind, uttered with an
unmistakable French accent.

"His Britannic Majesty's schooner _Tern_, monsieur, to which ship I must
request you to surrender, or I shall be under the painful necessity of
blowing you out of the water," answered I, firmly persuaded of the
policy of rendering oneself as formidable as possible to one's enemy.

But my well-meant endeavour proved to be a signal failure; the enemy was
not in this case to be so easily frightened.

"Les Anglais! mille tonneres!" I heard the Frenchman in the
brigantine's main rigging exclaim, as he waved his clenched fist in the
air. Then he retorted, in what he doubtless believed to be the purest
English--

"Vat is dat you say, Monsieur Angleeshman? If I do not surrendaire, you
vill blow me out of de vattar? Ha, ha! Sacre! It is _I_, monsieur,
who vill blow dat footy leetle schooner of yours into ze sky, if you do
not surrendaire yourshelf plus promptement, eh!"

"All right, monsieur; blaze away, then, as soon as you like!" retorted
I, in the be