e of those
who were watching her, her bow began to swing slowly around, her sails
trembled in the air for a minute or two and then moved over to the other
side, her yard was braced forward, the sheets hauled taut, and she was
off on the other tack with a big bone in her teeth. By this move she
hoped to pass so far astern of the suspicious-looking craft in front of
her, as to be beyond range of the light guns her captain had reason to
believe were concealed under those piles of canvas which looked so
innocent at a distance. It was beautifully and quickly done; but who
ever saw a Yankee skipper who did not know how to handle his ship, or
who would give her up to an enemy if he saw the slightest chance to
escape with her? The Confederate Admiral Semmes had more than one chase
after a plucky Yankee captain, who was resolved that he would not come
to if he could help it, and he often goes out of his way to pay deserved
tribute to the skill and courage of Northern sailors.

"That's his best sailing-point, and he's got a breeze that don't reach
us," Captain Beardsley almost howled, stamping about the deck and
shaking his fist at the flying schooner. "Where are you, Tierney? Fire
that gun at him. Pitch the ball into him the first time without stopping
to send it across his bows. Do something, or he'll get away from us."

Tierney and his crew, who had scattered themselves over the deck in
obedience to an order from the mate, were on hand almost before the
angry skipper had ceased talking. The captain of the gun knew that the
schooner was far beyond the reach of the short-time projectile he had in
his piece, but that did not prevent him from obeying orders. The canvas
covering was torn off and cast aside, the gun trained, and the
lock-string pulled. The privateer trembled all over with the force of
the concussion; the howitzer bounded from its place and recoiled as far
as its breeching would permit it to go, and the shrapnel went shrieking
on its way. But it did not go more than a quarter of the distance that
intervened between the two vessels before it exploded. However, it
showed the crew of the fleeing schooner that her enemy was fully armed,
and it enabled Tierney to load his gun with a shell provided with a
longer fuse.

"Send home another one that will go farther before it busts," shouted
Captain Beardsley. "And while you're doing it, we'll see if we can't
come around on the other tack about as quick as she did."

Remem