I wished to be, and therefore could not do better while the
weather remained so fine.

CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR.

Four nights and three days we remained in this way; during which my men
had nothing to do but to exercise at the guns, and of that I took care
they should have a good spell. On the fourth night the wind was a
little fresher, but the water quite smooth. I had turned in about
twelve o'clock, and had been asleep about an hour when Cross came and
called me.

"Well, Cross," said I, "what is it?"

"Here they are, sir."

"What?--the privateers?"

"Yes, sir; the brig and schooner both coming down right before the wind;
they are on our weather quarter, and will pass us within two miles, if
not nearer."

I left my bed-place, and was dressed in a minute. I went on deck with
my glass, and directed it to the vessels, which were quite plain to the
naked eye.

"Put out the binnacle light, Cross," said I; "they might discover us."

The brig, which was the headmost of the two vessels, was now nearly
crossing our stern. The schooner was about a mile astern of her.

"Turn the hands up, Cross; see all ready for action and making sail."

"Not yet, sir, surely!"

"No, not yet; we will let them run two or three miles dead to leeward,
and then follow them till daylight, or till they see us, when, of
course, they will be after us."

"It's very fortunate, sir, that we did furl the sails; for had they come
down, and we under sail, they would have seen us, and we should have
been to leeward of them, which would have given us a poor chance against
such odds; now we shall have the weather-gage, and may choose, if our
heels are as good as theirs, which I expect they are, if not better."

"I shall fight them in some shape or another, Bob, you may depend upon
it."

"Of course you will, Mr Keene, or you'll disappoint us all. The ship's
company have every confidence in you, I can tell you."

"Thanks to your long yarns, Bob, I presume."

"Thanks to my telling the truth, Mr Keene. The schooner is right
astern of us now, so there's the weather-gage gone--thank God!"

We remained as we were till I considered the two vessels sufficiently to
leeward, and the sails were then set upon the Firefly, and first running
to the eastward, so as to get right in the wind's eye of them, I put the
helm up, and followed them. We had continued our course in their wake
for about an hour, when day dawned, and the schooner, who had disco