int, and the following day were corpses.
Several others in the course of a few hours were seized in the same
manner. Their illnesses in each case terminated fatally. As is often
the case, a panic seized the whole crew, and men who would have faced an
enemy boldly, trembled at the thoughts of the attacks of this unseen
foe. The captain and officers had tried to encourage them and revive
their spirits; but all seemed in vain. Not a day passed without several
of the men being committed to the deep, and no one knew who would be the
next victim. The surgeon declared his belief that the seeds of the
disease must have been contracted in the West Indies, as it was
impossible it could have been communicated by the people of the
merchantman.

"Let the cause be what it may, the best hope we have of getting free of
the fever is to meet an enemy of equal size to ourselves; and, then,
while we are fighting him, I have no doubt that `Yellow Jack' will take
to flight," observed the captain.

At length a breeze sprang up, and although the disease had not
altogether ceased, it had considerably decreased. A sharp look-out was
kept at all hours for any sail which might appear on the horizon. At
length one was observed in the south-west, and all sail was made in
chase. For some time probably the _Isabel_ was not seen by the vessel
she was chasing. The latter, however, was at length seen to make sail,
and to stand away to the west. The _Isabel_ was a fast vessel, and
every effort was now made to increase her speed. The sails were wetted,
every stitch of canvas she could carry was set, and every other device
adopted to urge her through the water.

In those days the engagements which had taken place between English and
French ships had terminated in most instances so disastrously to the
latter, that Napoleon, it was said, had ordered all his cruisers to
avoid fighting if they possibly could. This might have accounted for
the flight of the stranger; for as the _Isabel_ drew nearer, she was
discovered to be either a heavy frigate or a line-of-battle ship. On a
still nearer approach the French ensign flew out from her peak, and it
was ascertained, without doubt, that she was a large frigate, a worthy
antagonist for the _Isabel_. Superior as the enemy might be in guns and
in number of men, Captain Denham resolved to attack her. The engagement
he knew would be a severe one; but he trusted for victory to the tried
gallantry of his