to pull,
several of our people were hurt, and the boats were likewise full of
men; so that we felt we were far from certain of escaping after all.
Mr Vernon ordered the gun in the bow of his boat to be fired, to draw
the attention of the frigate, should she not have heard the sound of the
musketry; and I followed his example. By this time we were a couple of
miles or more away from the shore, but the frigate was still some five
or six miles from us. Before long, by the light of the dawn just
breaking, we could see the Reefian boats stealing out from the land; but
we had now no great fear of being caught. Still our enemies pulled very
fast, and were animated with every feeling of rage and revenge to excite
them to exertion. Hitherto there had been a dead calm, which much
facilitated our progress; and as the gloom of night cleared away, we
could see, in the grey of the morning, the frigate's topsails hanging
uselessly in the brails. I kept anxiously looking back at our pursuers.

"Do they gain on us?" asked Stallman, who sat propped up in the
stern-sheets.

"I fear so," I replied; "but the frigate is still not so very far off."

"If they overtake us, I will ask you, D'Arcy, to drop astern a little,
and try and keep them at bay, so as to afford the first gig a better
chance of escaping," he said, faintly.

This was the boat Miss Norman was in.

"Of course, Stallman," I answered, "every one here will do their best to
defend the young lady. Won't you, my lads?"

"Ay, ay, sir; never fear," replied the men, with one voice, at the same
time giving a cheer. "Hurra! hurra!"

The enemy's boats were now drawing uncomfortably near, and the headmost
ones had begun to fire, though their shot did not reach us. Still it
was too evident that they would be up to us before the frigate could
come to our assistance. There she still lay, like a log on the water.
I did not much fear the enemy; but I knew if they overtook us, even if
we escaped, it would be the cause of much more bloodshed. Presently, as
I was thinking of this, I saw a light ripple curling over the smooth,
shining surface of the leaden-coloured sea. Another and another
cat's-paw followed; the frigate let fall her topsails--they were sheeted
home; sail after sail was set; and just then, as the sun rose in a blaze
of glory, our gallant ship was seen standing towards us--a magnificent
and welcome sight--under a press of canvas, lighted up by the bright
rays of t