er hull was
in sight and she was still becalmed, though her head was pointed in the
right direction, and everything was set to catch the coming breeze.
She carried a boat on each side at the davits like a man-of-war, and I
reported that I could make out men securing them. They had been towing
her, and only stopped when they saw us drawing near.

Anxiously we watched the breeze on the water as it narrowed the sheen
between us, and we were yet two miles or more distant when she first
felt the breeze. As she did so we hoisted the English blue ensign,--for
the fleet at this time was under a Rear Admiral of the Blue,--and fired
a weather gun, but no response was made. Fortunately the wind continued
to freshen and the Porpoise was doing wonderfully well. We were rapidly
closing the distance between us. We fired another gun, but no attention
was paid to it. I noticed from the movements of the crew of the brig
that they were getting ready for some manoeuvre, and reported to the
captain. He divined at once what the manoeuvre would be, and ordered the
braces be led along, hands by the studding-sail halyards and tacks,
and everything ready to haul by the wind. We felt certain now of the
character of our friend, and the men were already calculating the amount
of their prize money. We were now within range, and must clip her wings
if possible.

The first lieutenant was ordered to open fire with the eighteen-pounder.
Carefully the gun was laid, and as the order "fire" was given, down came
our English flag, and the stop of the Stars and Stripes was broken
at the gaff. The first shot touched the water abeam of the chase and
ricochetted ahead of her. She showed the Spanish flag. The captain of
the gun was ordered to elevate a little more and try again. The second
shot let daylight through her fore topsail, but the third was wide
again.

Then the sharp, quick order of the captain, "Fore topsail yard there,
come down on deck, sir!" brought me down on the run. "Have both cutters
cleared away and ready for lowering," were my orders as I reached the
quarter-deck. Practice from the bow chasers continued, but the smoke
that drifted ahead of us interfered with the accuracy of the firing,
and no vital part was touched, though a number of shots went through
her sails. The captain in the main rigging never took his eye from the
Spaniard, evidently expecting that as a fox when hard pressed doubles
on the hounds, the chase would attempt the same