all
hand-pump and some hose we had provided ourselves with, and gave the
sails a thorough wetting.

The brig ran down to within about a couple of miles of us before the
first faint cat's-paws came stealing over the water towards us; then the
balloon-topsail filled, collapsed, and filled again, the spinnaker
ceased its rustle, and there was a gentle surge as the light strain
first came upon the spars and rigging; the tiller began to vibrate
beneath my hand, a long ripple spread itself out from each bow, and the
_Water Lily_ began once more to slip gaily away.

I got Bob to give a look to our preventers, in case it should become a
matter of sheer _carrying on_, and then sent him below, as it had been a
day of excitement for him, and, consequently, of fatigue.

The breeze gradually freshened, the water hissed and sparkled away from
our sharp bows, and the swirling eddies in our wake told a cheering tale
as to the speed with which we were flying over the surface of the now
crisply-ruffled ocean; and before my watch was out, I had the
satisfaction of seeing that we were certainly drawing away from our
persevering enemy, the broad, flat model of the _Lily_ being as
favourable to her sailing powers before the wind as her deep keel was
when close-hauled.

I called Bob at midnight, and strictly cautioned him to give me timely
notice if the breeze freshened sufficiently to necessitate a reduction
of canvas, or if anything occurred rendering my presence on deck
desirable; and then I dived below, flung off my clothes, and tumbled
into my hammock, and "in the twinkling of a purser's lantern" was fast
asleep.

When I went on deck again at four o'clock I found that the breeze had
freshened very considerably during my watch below, and under other
circumstances I should most certainly have taken in the spinnaker and
shifted topsails; but though we had dropped the brig considerably, he
still hung most pertinaciously in our wake, so there was nothing for it
but still to carry on.

The craft must have been a splendid sailer, for, though by this time we
were going close upon sixteen knots, we had not increased our distance
from her much more than four miles during the time I had been below.

Nothing worthy of note occurred during my watch. The wind appeared to
have reached the limits of its strength, and now blew steadily, with
sufficient force to try our spars and gear to their utmost, but not
quite strong enough to carry anythin