r. This she did slowly for about ten minutes,
when it fell a perfect calm--so that, to use a common sea phrase, he
gained little by his motion. About half-past one, a slight breeze from
the opposite quarter sprung up--we turned round to it--it increased--the
fog blew away, and, in a quarter of an hour, the chase was again
visible, now upon our lee beam. The men gave three cheers.

"Silence there, fore and aft," cried the captain, angrily. "Mr Simple,
is this the way that the ship's company have been disciplined under
their late commander, to halloo and bawl whenever they think proper?"

I was irritated at any reflection upon O'Brien, and I replied, "Yes,
sir; they have been always accustomed to express their joy at the
prospect of engaging the enemy."

"Very well, Mr Simple," replied he.

"How are we to shift her head?" inquired the master, touching his hat:
"for the chase?"

"Of course," replied the captain, who then descended into his cabin.

"Come, my lads," said Swinburne, as soon as the captain was below, "I
have been going round, and I find that your _pets_ are all in good
fighting order. I promise ye, you sha'n't wait for powder. They'll find
that the _Rattlesnake_ can bite devilish hard yet, I expect."--"Aye, and
without its _head_, too," replied one of the men, who was the Joe Miller
of the brig. The chase, perceiving that she could not escape--for we
were coming up with her, hand over hand, now shortened sail for action,
hoisting Dutch colours. Captain Hawkins again made his appearance on the
quarter-deck, when we were within half a mile of her.

"Are we to run alongside of her or how?" inquired I.

"Mr Simple, I command her," replied he, "and want no interference
whatever."

"Very well, sir," replied I, and I walked to the gangway.

"Mr Thompson," cried the captain, who appeared to have screwed up his
courage to the right pitch, and had now taken his position for a moment
on one of the carronades; "you will lay the brig right--"

Bang, bang--whiz, whiz--bang--whiz, came three shots from the enemy,
cleaving the air between our masts. The captain jumped down from the
carronade, and hastened to the capstern, without finishing his sentence.
"Shall we fire when we are ready, sir?" said I; for I perceived that he
was not capable of giving correct orders.

"Yes--yes, to be sure," replied he, remaining where he was.

"Thompson," said I to the master, "I think we can manage, in our present
commanding po