"Well aimed, but not quite enough elevation," exclaimed I to Gowland,
who had charge of the deck, and who had called me a moment before.
"Now, who is the fellow, and what does he mean by firing at us? Is he a
Frenchman, think you, and does he take us for a slaver--which, by the
way, is not a very extraordinary mistake to make? We had better show
him our bunting, I think. Parsons," to a man who was hovering close by,
"bend on the ensign and run it up to the gaff-end."

"There is no harm in doing that, of course," remarked Gowland; "but he
is no Frenchman--or at least he is not a French cruiser; I am sure of
that by the cut of his canvas. Besides, we know every French craft on
the station, and Johnny Crapaud has no such beauty as that brig among
them. No; if you care for my opinion, Grenvile, it is that yonder
fellow is a slaver that is not too tender of conscience to indulge in a
little piracy at times, when the opportunity appears favourable, as it
does at present. I have heard that, in contradiction of the adage that
`there is honour among thieves', there are occasionally to be found
among the slavers a few that are not above attacking other slavers and
stealing their slaves from them. It saves them the bother of a run in
on the coast, with its attendant risk of losses by fever, and the delay,
perhaps, of having to wait until a cargo comes down. Ah, I expected as
much!" as another shot from the stranger pitched close to our taffrail
and sent a cloud of spray flying over us. "So much for his respect for
our bunting."

"If the schooner were but armed I would make him respect it," I
exclaimed, greatly exasperated at being obliged to submit tamely to
being fired at without the power to retaliate. "But," I continued,
"since we cannot fight we will run. The wind is light, and that brig
must be a smart craft indeed if, in such weather as this, we cannot run
away from her."

The next quarter of an hour afforded us plenty of excitement, for while
we were doing our best to claw out to windward of the brig she kept her
jib-boom pointed straight at us, and thus, having a slight advantage of
the wind, contrived to lessen the distance between us sufficiently to
get us fairly within range, when she opened a brisk fire upon us from
the 18-pounder on her forecastle. But, although the aim was fairly
good, no very serious damage was done. A rope was cut here and there,
but was immediately spliced by us; and when we had so