gh the schooner bore down to the assault
with a very determined air, it was by no means Mark's cue to come to
close quarters. Being well to windward, with plenty of room, he kept
the Abraham tacking, yawing, waring, and executing other of the devices
of nautical delay, whilst his men loaded and fired her guns, as fast as
they could. There were more noise and smoke, than there was bloodshed,
as commonly happens on such occasions; but these sufficed to secure the
victory. The savages were soon in a real panic, and no authority of
Waally's could check their flight. Away they paddled to leeward,
straining every nerve to get away from pursuers, whom they supposed to
be murderously bent on killing them to a man. A more unequivocal flight
never occurred in war.

Although the governor was much in earnest, he was riot half as
bloodthirsty as his fleeing enemies imagined. Every dictate of prudence
told him not to close with the canoes until he had plenty of sea-room.
The course they were steering would take them all out of the group, into
the open water, in the course of three or four hours, and he determined
to follow at a convenient distance, just hastening the flight by
occasional hints from his guns. In this manner, the people of the
Abraham had much the easiest time of it, for they did little besides
sail, while the savages had to use all their paddles to keep out of the
schooner's way; they sailed, also, but their speed under their cocoa-nut
canvas was not sufficient to keep clear of the Friend Abraham White,
which proved to be a very fast vessel, as well as one easily handled.

At length, Waally found his fleet in the open ocean, where he trusted
the chase would end. But he had greatly mistaken the course of events,
in applying that 'flattering unction.' It was now that the governor
commenced the chase in good earnest, actually running down three of the
canoes, and making prisoners of one of the crews. In this canoe was a
young warrior, whom Bill Brown and Wattles at once recognised as a
favourite son of the chief. Here was a most important conquest, and,
Mark turned it to account. He selected a proper agent from among the
captives, and sent him with a palm-branch to Waally himself, with
proposals for an exchange. There was no difficulty in communicating,
since Brown and Wattles both spoke the language of the natives with
great fluency. Three years of captivity had, at least, taught them that
much.

A good deal of time