her. Our aim was to
jam her down on the land, as we had done other vessels, when we should
drive her on shore or capture her.

During the morning I was several times on the forecastle, where I found
McAllister with his glass eagerly fixed on the chase.

"I am certain of it," he exclaimed. "As true as I'm a Highland
gentleman, and my name is McAllister, that craft ahead of us is the
Audacieuse. I know her by second sight, or, if you don't believe in it,
by the cut of her canvas, even at this distance. I'm certain of it. I
would give my patrimony, and more wealth than I am ever likely to
possess, to come up with her. I'll make Lieutenant Preville pay dearly
for the trick he played us."

Though I thought very likely that the schooner in sight was our former
prize, I could not be certain. Neither were the men who had been with
us, nor were the crew of the Espoir at all certain as to the vessel in
sight. As Ned Bambrick observed, "She might be her, or she might not be
her; but one French schooner, at the distance of seven or eight miles,
looked very like another, and that's all I can say, do ye see, sir, for
certain. The only way is to overhaul her, and then we shall know."

Perigal was inclined to side with McAllister, from the satisfaction
which the so doing afforded him; indeed, he now appeared in far better
spirits than he had done since our mishap.

At last the breeze freshened, and we rose the land, the coast of Cuba,
beyond the chase. Her chance of escape was consequently much lessened,
unless she could haul up along shore, or there was any harbour up which
she might run for shelter. We were now clearly gaining on her, and as
we drew nearer McAllister became more and more certain that she was the
Audacieuse, while others also agreed with him. I, of course, hoped that
he was right.

"We will make Preville cook for us. He shall be employed in dressing
ragouts all day long," he exclaimed, rubbing his hands. "But I hope he
won't yield without fighting. I wish it would fall calm, and I may be
sent in command of the boats to take him. That would be the most
satisfactory thing."

I agreed with him in the latter point, but argued that the Frenchmen had
only treated us as we should have attempted to treat them under similar
circumstances, so that we had no reason to complain, while they had also
behaved most liberally to us when giving us a boat to reach Jamaica. My
poor messmate was, however, far too