It was possible now to make out the light of her battle-lanterns in her
interior, shining through her open port-holes, through which the gun
muzzles also showed, all in readiness for the attack as soon as the
pirate was brought to bay. As they opened her up, and came abreast of
her, they could see that she was lit up fore-and-aft, and it became
perfectly clear that not only was she cleared for action, but that her
captain had given orders to his men to sleep at their quarters, and thus
be ready for the fight at a moment's notice.

Having overtaken the _Tiger_, the _Elizabeth_ began to draw ahead
perceptibly, and the brilliantly lighted interior of her consort was
soon eclipsed, while the bright triangle of lights at the stern of the
_Good Adventure_ now showed up clearly about two and a half miles
distant, broad on the port bow.

Captain Pryce was in great glee, for, if all went well, his little jest
would be a brilliant success, and by daybreak his would be the foremost
vessel of the squadron, and therefore the first to come up with the
_Black Pearl_.

But where was the pirate? It seemed certain that the flag-ship must
have her in view, since she was standing steadily along on her course;
but not a sign of the schooner could be made out by the people on board
the _Elizabeth_.

"Surely," said the captain, who, in his keenness, was spending the night
on deck, "we ought by this time to be able to see something of that
craft, a binnacle light, or a glimmer of some sort, to show us where she
is! We are nearly abreast of the flag-ship, and I cannot see a trace of
the _Black Pearl_; yet Mr Cavendish seems to be standing on with
perfect confidence, which he would hardly do were she not within his
view. Still, it may be that he has lost her, and is merely trusting
that she will hold her course, and has the hope of sighting her at
daybreak."

He had barely finished speaking, when Roger, who had been gazing long
and earnestly into the dusky blackness to the south-west, came up beside
him and said in a low tone of voice:

"Sir, I have been looking for some time over in that direction, and
within the last few minutes it has come to me that there is a black
something over there--can you not see it, sir?--that is growing very
rapidly bigger!"

"You are very right, Mr Trevose," replied the captain; "you have done
well to tell me. There is, indeed, something away there; I can make out
the loom of a vessel's sails quite