nctly
that time!--should he fail to find us, what course will he pursue? Why,
he will certainly expect us to make our way northward--for Sierra Leone,
most probably, the port that we have already determined to steer for--
and he will do his best to overtake and recapture us. Therefore our
best course will obviously be to head to the _southward_, and thus
increase the distance between the two craft as rapidly as possible, so
that they may be out of sight of each other at daybreak; and then to
proceed upon our proper course under easy sail."

This seemed to me to be a very fair and sound line of reasoning, and I
determined to act upon it forthwith. I accordingly made my way forward,
routed out the men, told them there was a breeze coming, and ordered
them to brace up the yards and trim the sheets aft for a close-hauled
stretch on the port tack, at the same time cautioning them to work
silently, as I had only too much reason to fear that the pirates were
returning to search for the ship. This news, confirmed as it was by the
now perfectly audible sound of the sweeps, was enough for them, and they
went about the decks so silently, speaking in whispers, and carefully
taking each rope off its belaying-pin, and _laying_ it down on deck,
instead of flinging it down with clatter enough to wake the Seven
Sleepers, that I am certain no one in the cabins, even had they been
awake, could possibly have been aware of what was happening.

By the time that we had got our canvas trimmed the breeze had become
quite perceptible, and the ship had gathered steerage-way; we therefore
wore her round, and presently had the ineffable satisfaction of hearing
a slight but distinct tinkling and gurgle of water under the bows.

With the springing up of this most welcome little breeze the sound of
the sweeps first became by imperceptible degrees less audible and then
was lost altogether, but whether this arose from the fact that the wind
carried the sound away from us, or whether it was that they had laid in
the sweeps, and were making sail upon the brigantine, it was impossible
to tell, nor did I greatly care, provided that the breeze freshened
sufficiently to carry us out of sight before daybreak, this now being my
great anxiety. Maxwell assured me that the _Bangalore_ was a real
clipper, easily beating everything that they had fallen in with, both on
the passage out and on their homeward voyage. But no ship can sail fast
without a fair amo