it's not surprising; her
father is a major, and her two brothers are lieutenants in the
bombardiers."

"That, indeed," replied Jack--"but see, there is a breeze springing up
from the westward."

"Very true, Mr Easy, and a steady one it will be, for it comes up dark
and slow; so much the better for the frigate, for she'll get little
honour and plenty of mauling at this work."

"I hope we shall take it up with us," observed Jack; "how far do you
reckon the gun-boats from the shore?"

"I should think about five miles, or rather less."

"Trim sails, Mr Oxbelly--perhaps we may cut one or two of these off--
steer inshore of them."

"Exactly. Up there, my lads, set top-gallant studding sails, top-mast
studdings to hand-rig out the booms--keep as you go now, my lad--we
shall be well inshore of them, and out of the range of the batteries."

The breeze came down fresh, and all sail was set upon the _Rebiera_.
She took the wind down with her, and it passed her but little--half a
mile ahead of them all was still and smooth as a glass mirror, and they
neared and gained inshore at the same time. The gun-boats were still
engaging the frigate, and did not appear to pay any attention to the
_Rebiera_ coming down. At last the breeze reached them and the frigate,
light at first and then gradually increasing, while the _Rebiera_ foamed
through the water and had now every chance of cutting off some of the
gun-boats. The frigate trimmed her sails and steered towards the
flotilla, which now thought proper to haul off and put their heads
inshore, followed by the frigate firing her bow-chasers. But the
_Rebiera_ was now within half gun-shot, inshore, and steering so as to
intercept them. As she rapidly closed, the flotilla scarcely knew how
to act; to attack her would be to lose time, and allow the frigate to
come up and occasion their own capture; so they satisfied themselves
with firing at her as she continued to run down between them and the
land. As they neared, Jack opened his fire with his eighteen-pound
carronades and long nines. The gun-boats returned his fire, and they
were within a quarter of a mile, when Jack shortened sail to his
top-sails, and a warm engagement took place, which ended in one of the
gun-boats being in a few minutes dismasted. The frigate, under all
canvas, came rapidly up, and her shot now fell thick. The flotilla then
ceased firing, passing about two cables' lengths ahead of the _Rebiera_,
and m