get in close
enough the next day to land part of our cargo, when a perfect calm came
on, and the sun went down in a blaze of glory, shedding a golden hue
over the sky, reflected in the glass-like ocean.

The next morning, as I was about to turn out, I heard several persons
come into the cabin, and found that they were taking down the arms
arranged against the after bulkhead. My uncle was placing a brace of
pistols in his belt and girding on a sword.

On my asking what was the matter. "You'll know presently," he answered.
"Arm yourself as I have done;" and he hurried from the cabin.

I quickly dressed, and doing as he directed me, followed him on deck. I
there found the guns cast loose, and the crew at their quarters; and on
looking out astern I saw a large vessel, a man-of-war corvette, under
all sail, standing towards us. The wind was scarcely strong enough to
blow out her canvas, while we were still becalmed, but she was
apparently bringing up the breeze with her; while between us and her
were two large boats full of men, approaching evidently with the
intention of boarding us. The headmost fired a shot at the schooner--to
try the range, I suppose--but it fell short.

"What can that vessel want with us?" I asked of my uncle. "We are not
now at war with any country, and she looks too large a ship to be a
pirate."

"She is a Spanish man-of-war," he answered. "She takes us to belong to
the Republicans, and, though we have shown English colours, wishes to
overhaul us."

"But if the Spaniards were to come on board, what harm could they do
us?" I asked.

"They might find articles they would object to among the cargo; and the
captain has no wish to have the vessel searched," he answered.

Uncle Denis was perfectly composed, and seemed to take the matter as
nothing unusual. I felt as I had never felt before, for I fully
expected before many minutes were over to be engaged in a desperate
fight.

The schooner had all her sails set, though at present they were useless;
but on looking over the side I observed cat's-paws playing on the
surface of the ocean. Now they appeared, now they vanished, but as yet
we had not felt the slightest breath of wind. Presently, however, I saw
the dog-vane rise and flutter slightly; again it drooped.

The corvette meantime was stealing up, and the boats were getting nearer
and nearer. A shot from the headmost one could now have reached us, but
she appeared to be waiting f