s the frigate bore down upon her with a white roll of water on her
stem.

"Get ready, lads," the skipper said. "There is just one chance yet. She
will run by us. The instant she is past, up sail again. We shall be a
mile away before they can get her round into the wind again. If she
doesn't cripple us with her shot, we may weather her yet. We needn't
mind the cutter."

The frigate came foaming along, the crew busy in taking sail off her.
The instant she had passed, and was preparing to round to, the sails of
the lugger flew up like magic, and she was soon tearing along almost in
the eye of the wind, as if to meet the cutter, which was running down
towards her.

"Down below, lads, every man of you," the captain shouted. "We shall
have a broadside in a minute."

In a moment, the deck was clear of all save the skipper and his mate,
who stood at the tiller. The frigate swept slowly round, and then, as
her guns came to bear, shot after shot was fired at the lugger, already
three-quarters of a mile to the windward. The shot hummed overhead, one
struck the water alongside, a yard or two away, but still she was
untouched.

"Some of her shots went as near the cutter as they did to us," the
skipper said. "She won't fire again."

They were now fast approaching the cutter, which, when she was within a
quarter of a mile, changed her course and was brought up again into the
wind, firing the four guns she carried on her broadside as she came
round. The lugger's head was paid off, and this placed the cutter on
her starboard quarter, both going free. The former was travelling the
faster, but a gun was fired from the cutter's bow, and the shot struck
splinters from the lugger's quarter. The crew were on deck again now.

"Train that gun over the stern," the skipper said. "If we can knock her
mast out of her, we are saved. If not, they will have us yet."

He had scarcely spoken when there was a crash. A shot from the cutter
had struck the mizzen mast, a few feet above the deck, and the mast and
sail fell over to leeward. There was a cry of rage and dismay.

"Luck's against us," the skipper said bitterly. "Down with the sail,
lads. This time it is all up with us."

The sail was lowered, and the lugger lay motionless in the water, until
the cutter came up and lay within fifty yards of her. A boat was at
once lowered, and an officer was rowed to the lugger.

"So we have caught you, my friends, at last," he said, as he sprang on