edicament. How to act, under the circumstances, I
knew not; I was thoroughly embarrassed.

Away to leeward was the "Vigilant," in such a position that if we bore
up we should be simply running straight into her clutches; up there to
windward was this mysterious brig, from which there was no possibility
of escape if we hauled our wind, while if we kept straight on we were
still almost certain to fall into her hands, assuming that we were lucky
enough to escape the "Vigilant." Of course there was just a bare
possibility of her being English, but if so her appearance strangely
belied her.

It seemed to me that the least imprudent thing to do would be to keep
straight on as we were going, and this I accordingly did. I still felt
very anxious to know for certain who and what this brig really was, and
at last I determined to hoist the English flag over the French at our
gaff-end, hoping that this signal would evoke some response; but as far
as the brig was concerned it was entirely without effect.

Not so, however, with regard to the "Vigilant;" the sight appeared to
greatly irritate her worthy skipper, for he immediately hauled his wind,
and very soon afterwards tried the effect of his long brass nine upon
us. The shot fell short some sixty or seventy fathoms, but it was well
aimed, and pretty conclusively demonstrated that Monsieur Durand was
growing angry. Finding that we were as yet out of range, the lateener
once more kept away upon her former course, evidently recognising the
possibility that, if she did not, we might still slip past her.

Another quarter of an hour brought us abreast of the Cape, and in about
ten minutes more we had opened the town of San Fiorenzo. Well out in
Mortella Bay a large fleet of ships lay at anchor, while much nearer the
shore a 74-gun ship and a frigate were visible, also apparently at
anchor, and briskly engaging a battery of some sort, which appeared to
be built on a projecting point of land. At the same time the roar of
the distant cannonade, which had been shut off from us by the
intervening high land, was borne distinctly to our ears. Meanwhile the
inscrutable brig had steadily pursued her course, without appearing to
take the slightest notice of the little drama which was being enacted
ahead of her, and now came foaming up upon our weather quarter, steering
so as to shave close past our taffrail.

I had by this time lost all doubt as to her nationality, though she
still k