hat they had no business to leave their
post, even had there been any probability of success.

Boats now came off from the dhows, and the business of transporting the
slaves on board commenced; while an armed party of Arabs was drawn up
near the foot of the cape, to prevent any attempt which might be made by
the British seamen to interfere with their proceedings. Nearly all the
slaves had been got on board, when the Arabs, no longer being engaged in
guarding them, began to show evident signs that their intentions were
hostile. Presently a personage of more importance, probably the chief
slave-dealer, arrived, with several additional armed attendants. The
midshipmen saw the other Arabs pointing them out to him. A consultation
which was then held resulted, apparently, in a resolution to attack
them. Shouts and cries of hatred arose from the assembled Arabs, who,
flourishing their weapons, advanced towards the hill, evidently with the
intention of climbing it.

We must leave the midshipmen in their perilous predicament, and follow
the _Gauntlet_, which, having captured one of the dhows, of which she
was in chase as has been described, stood after the other two. They
were both fleet vessels, and, with their enormous sails filled to
bursting, seemed to glide over the surface like those winged creatures
which may be seen in summer skimming across the surface of a pool. The
boilers were heated to the utmost, and with sail and screw the ship
dashed forward in chase.

The nearest dhow was the first to haul in for the shore, while the other
continued her course, hoping to escape. "The first bird is already
ours," observed Jack to Higson; "she'll not venture to run her stem on
the rocks, and if we attempt further to interfere with her, we shall
lose the second. If she ventures to run out to sea, we shall have time
to settle with the one ahead, and catch her into the bargain."

The dhow spoken of was continuing her course towards the shore, with the
intention, it was supposed, of anchoring, and waiting till she could
again make sail, and run out to sea before the ship had settled with her
consort. The _Gauntlet_ stood on as before, though she was gaining
little, if anything, on the fast-sailing dhow; still, one of the shot or
shell she was firing might carry away a mast or tear the sail in pieces;
and Jack, trusting to that chance, hoped to capture her at last.

A stern chase is a long chase, under most circumstances,