obedience. Every one partook of the
same spirit; and there appeared to be as much discipline and regularity
as on board a man-of-war. Even the most lawless vagabonds find this
necessary for the attainment of their ends and their own preservation.

We rapidly came up with the chase, and were within about three miles of
her, when she began, it seemed, to suspect that all was not right, for
sail after sail was set on her till she could carry no more, while she
edged away a little from her course, so as to allow every one of them to
draw properly. This threw us soon completely to windward, for we held
on the same course as before, and she appeared at first to be recovering
her lost ground. In a short time we also kept away with the wind almost
abeam, a point on which the _Foam_ sailed her best.

"Huzza, my lads!" exclaimed Hawk; "in a short time the chase will be
ours, and, if I mistake not, plenty of gold doubloons into the bargain,
if you can but make our craft walk along faster."

"Huzza!" shouted the English and American part of the crew, in which the
people of other nations joined in their peculiar cries.

The brig once more hauled her wind, and this brought us soon nearer
again to her.

Hawk thought it was because the captain saw indications of a shift of
wind, and hoped to be placed well to windward. He was scrutinising her
narrowly through a telescope. "She does not show any guns," he
remarked; "but it is no reason that she has not got them. Get all ready
for action, in case she should prove a Tartar."

I scarcely knew what I was about; but I confess that I not only assisted
to hand up the powder and shot, but to load and run out the guns.

Neither of us made any further variation in our course; but the chase
was, it appeared, a very slow sailer, for we so rapidly came up with
her, that five hours after she was seen she was within range of our
guns. She did not fire, nor did we; for supposing her to be unarmed,
Hawk was anxious to capture her without in any way injuring her hull or
cargo. We sailed on, therefore, as if we were engaged in a friendly
race; and no one, by looking at us, could have supposed that we were
deadly enemies.

We were getting very near to the chase, and with our telescopes could
almost distinguish the faces of those on board, when I observed Abraham
Jones, the new second mate of the _Foam_, hurry aft to the captain with
a face pale as a ghost. Hawk laughed and shook his head