they could not get on board before dark, there was
little prospect of their doing so at all.

The old fisherman sat in the stern-sheets, calm and apparently unmoved,
though more eager than any one to overtake the craft on board which his
only remaining son had been so barbarously carried off. Often he said
to himself with the patriarch of old, "If I am bereaved of my children I
am bereaved;" for he could not help seeing the little prospect there was
of recovering his boy.

Already the sun had set behind the land, and the gloom of evening was
stealing over the leaden ocean when the cutter was seen to haul her
wind. Presently she came about and stood to the northward.

"We may still have a chance of overhauling her, sir," exclaimed Adam,
his hopes reviving.

Headland and Harry thought so too, although both were unwilling to
remain out longer than they could help.

"Julia will probably ride back to Texford by herself when she finds that
we have not returned; or will remain at our cousins and send over to say
that we have been detained," observed Harry, divining his friend's
thoughts.

"I fear that we shall cause the ladies much anxiety, as they will not
know what has become of us," observed Headland.

"I am afraid so," said Harry; "but still I cannot bear that the young
fisherman should be ill-treated without attempting to save him."

"God bless you, Mr Harry, for saying that," exclaimed Adam. "I pray we
may get back our Jacob, for I know the tricks of those villains; and the
_Lively_ has a fast pair of heels; there are few cutters can come up
with her, and the _Scout_ is not one of those that can. Still something
may happen to help us, though it will not be man's doing. I can't
deceive myself, and I don't want to deceive you."

Headland feared that the old man was right. At the same time, as long
as Harry had any hopes of overtaking the lugger he determined to
accompany him.

The cutter was now about a mile distant to the south-east, but it was a
question whether the _Nancy_ could cut her off before she had run past
to the north and darkness had come on.

The _Nancy's_ flag was run up to the mast-head and hauled down again
several times in the hopes of attracting her attention.

As they approached, even though it was dark, their voices might be heard
on board the cutter, and her commander would probably heave to to
ascertain what they wanted.

Some more anxious minutes went by. At length Adam though