get into a better humour."

The Captain was right not to be too sanguine; before an hour had passed
the wind shifted to the east-north-east. The _Dolphin_, close-hauled
under larboard tack, stood towards the African coast.

"What about Algerine corsairs, the Sallee rovers?" asked Roger.

"If we fall in with any of the gentry, as our business is to trade not
to fight, we must run if we can; but if they come up with us, we must
show what British pluck can do, and beat them off," said the Captain.

"As little honour is to be gained, we may hope not to encounter any of
the gentlemen," said Stephen.

The _Dolphin_ had been standing on to the south-east, a course which
would take her some way to the southward of the Straits. Captain
Roberts said he hoped that a tack or two would enable him to fetch the
Straits, and once through them, that they should get a fair wind up the
Mediterranean. Evening was approaching when the look-out from aloft
shouted, "A sail on the weather-bow."

"What does she look like?" asked the Captain.

"She's a large craft, standing to the south-west, under all sail."

The stranger's course would bring her directly down upon the _Dolphin_.
Captain Roberts was provided with a telescope, an instrument not long
introduced at sea, which many merchant vessels did not possess. Taking
it with him, for he was not willing to intrust to the hands of any one
else, he went aloft, steadying it against the mast; while he stood in
the maintop, he took a long gaze at the stranger. Returning on deck, he
immediately ordered the ship to be kept away, so as to bring her before
the wind. All sail which she could possibly carry was set, some hanging
down from the yards, rigged across the bowsprit to the very water, while
stud-sails were rigged out on the foremast, and the sheet of the huge
mizzen was eased off, and the sail bulged out with the freshening
breeze.

"What do you think of the stranger, sir?" asked Stephen of the Captain.

"I deem her to be an Algerine, one of those piratical craft we were but
just now speaking of. She's a large ship, more than twice our size, and
probably carries heavy guns, and four or five times as many men as we
do; we might beat her off, and if she comes up to us, that is what we
must try to do, but it will be wiser to keep ahead of her. We shall
soon see which is the fastest craft, and what chance we have of running
out of her sight. We have the advantage of night coming o