breakfast to the sharks. You have drawn upon us the
attention of that rascally guarda-costa, the captain of which will not
be satisfied until he has received a full explanation of your remark.
But, maledetto! remember this, the moment our capture seems certain I
will slit you up as I would a sardine,"--appropriate gesture with the
knife,--"so if you object to being slit open like a sardine you will
give me all the help you can. You comprehend?"

The lad comprehended so well that he was frightened half out of his
wits, and went round the deck, taking an extra pull here, easing off
half an inch of sheet there, shifting the water-casks, and, in short,
doing all he knew to increase the speed of the cutter, glancing
anxiously astern at the guarda-costa in the intervals, and from her to
his dreaded shipmate.

Of course I am aware that I ought to have interfered and put a stop to
this terrorism on the part of the hot-blooded Corsican, and I _should_
have done so, had there appeared any probability of his executing his
sanguinary threats; but I had already seen enough of him to believe that
his bark was a great deal worse than his bite, and so, as the prisoner
had evidently got us into what might prove a very awkward scrape, I was
willing that he should not be allowed to go altogether unpunished.

It was even as Giaccomo had foreseen. We were scarcely a mile from the
guarda-costa when we saw her canvas drooping in heavy festoons from her
long tapering yards, and by the time that we had increased our distance
to a couple of miles her anchor was a-trip, and she was sweeping round
on her way out after us.

I called my aide aft and asked him whether he knew the craft.

"Too well, signor," he replied. "It has been my lot to be chased by her
often, and many an anxious moment has she caused me. She has the name
of being the fastest sailer inside the Gut, and she is the terror of
every honest smuggler round the coast here."

"Ho, ho!" said I. "So that is how the land lies, is it, master
Giaccomo? You have been a bit of a smuggler in your time, eh?"

"Yes," he frankly returned, "and not so very long ago either. And I
should have been taken to a certainty, had not a shot from one of your
cruisers turned yonder inquisitive gentleman back."

"Let us hope we may meet with a similar slice of luck this time," said
I. "Do you think we stand any chance of getting away from her?"

"Everything depends on the weather," was the re