him with the service.
Fortunately for Dick, however, his persecutors had no time to annoy him
when below, for, fatigued with their work, the moment they turned in
they fell asleep. All hands, indeed, were employed from morning until
night in clearing the ship of water, getting up jurymasts and repairing
the worst damages, so that there might be a chance of keeping her afloat
should bad weather come on. Hitherto but little progress had been made.
All the sail which the _Wolf_ could carry was set. The prize was at
length able to help herself by hoisting a small amount of canvas. A
very sharp watch was kept for the appearance of any strange sail.

At length, early on the second morning, the look-out from the masthead
of the _Wolf_ shouted, "A sail in the south-west!"

The first lieutenant went aloft to have a look at her. On his return to
the deck, he reported that she was a large ship, standing on a course
which would soon bring her up to them. It was difficult, at that
distance, to say whether she was a frigate or a line-of-battle ship.

"We must steer as we are," observed Captain Moubray. "Whatever she is,
we must fight her."

He then hailed the prize, directing Lieutenant Jager to get all the guns
he could ready for use, so that he might be able to take a part in the
fight, should it be necessary. He was, however, to do his best to
escape, while the _Wolf_ engaged the stranger.

The French officers on deck eagerly watched the ship coming up. As her
topsails rose above the horizon, various opinions were expressed about
her. Some thought that she might be the leading ship of a French
squadron; others that she was a British man-of-war. As, however, she
drew nearer, no other vessels were seen astern of her. One after the
other the officers went aloft, to try and discover her character. She
was soon pronounced to be a seventy-four, at least. The Frenchmen
became highly elated, having fully persuaded themselves that she was a
French line-of-battle ship.

"Never mind, my friend," said one of them, "you have treated us well; we
hope soon to have an opportunity of showing our gratitude."

"Much obliged to you," answered the first lieutenant, to whom the
observation was made. "It is not settled beyond doubt that yonder ship
belongs to your nation. There is something about the cut of her canvas
which tells me that she is an English line-of-battle ship. If she's an
enemy, we intend to fight her, and, if we