Fill we did immediately; that, at
least, could do no harm, whereas it might do much good. I never supposed
for a moment the English were sending boats after us, since, with the
wind that was blowing, it would have been easy for the Dawn to leave them
miles behind her, in the first hour. Each instant rendered my first
conjecture the most likely to be true. There could be no mistaking the
exertions of the crews of the two boats; the pursuers seemingly doing
their best, as well as the pursued. The frigate could no longer fire,
however, the boats being already in a line, and there being equal danger
to both from her shot.

The reader will understand that large ships seldom engage, when the ocean
will permit it, without dropping one or more of their boats into the
water; and that warm actions at sea rarely occur, without most of the
boats being, more or less, injured. It often happens that a frigate can
muster only one or two boats that will swim, after a combat; and
frequently only the one she had taken the precaution to lower into the
water, previously to engaging. It was owing to some such circumstance that
only one boat followed the fugitives in the present instance. The race
must necessarily be short; and it would have been useless to send a second
boat in pursuit, could one be found, after the first two or three
all-important minutes were lost.

The Dawn showed her ensign, as a sign we saw our poor fellows struggling
to regain us, and then we filled our main-top-sail, squaring away and
standing down directly for the fugitives. Heavens! how that main-yard went
round, though there were but three men at the braces. Each of us hauled
and worked like a giant. There was every inducement of feeling, interest
and security to do so. With our present force, the ship could scarcely be
said to be safe; whereas, the seven additional hands, and they our own
people, who were straining every nerve to join us, would at once enable us
to carry the ship direct to Hamburg.

Our old craft behaved beautifully. Neb was at the wheel, the cook on the
forecastle, while Marble and I got ropes cleared away to throw to the
runaways, as soon as they should be near enough to receive them. Down we
drove towards the boat, and it was time we did, for the cutter in pursuit,
which pulled ten oars, and was full manned, was gaining fast on the
fugitives. As we afterwards learned, in the eagerness of starting, our men
had shipped the crest of a sea, and