fallen
behind, but had lagged to leeward nigh half a mile.

"They must be firing as a signal," he said. "There may either be a
Spanish port in the island, or they may know that there are some of
their ships lying there; though I can see no signs, either of a
port or ships."

"It would matter little if we could, Captain," Pengarvan said; "for
any ships along that shore would be to leeward of us, and we should
pass the end of the island long before they could beat up there;
but it would be awkward if there happened to be a port, with two or
three of their ships, just beyond that point. We should be caught
between two fires then, and have to fight the lot of them."

The captain nodded.

"You are right, Pengarvan. We should be in a fix, then; and four
Spaniards at once is more than we bargained for."

They were now within two miles of the point towards which they were
steering, and towards which the eyes of the two officers on the
poop were directed. Five minutes later an exclamation broke from
them, simultaneously, as the sails of a lofty ship made their
appearance over the extremity of the point, and a minute later a
great hull came into sight.

"Helm to larboard," Captain Reuben ordered sharply. "We must run
down the island. We can never weather that fellow that has just
appeared.

"Ah! There are two others coming out. We are in a hornets' nest."

The sails were squared off, and the Swan was soon running before
the wind; almost parallel with the coast, but edging in a little,
to keep her farther from the vessels that had first chased them.
These had also changed their course, and their position to leeward
now gave them an advantage.

Ere long the Swan was almost abreast her late pursuers, who were
about a mile and a quarter to seaward; while the other three
Spanish ships, with all sails set, were a mile and a half astern,
but a good deal nearer in shore.

"The sun will be down in another five minutes," Captain Reuben
said, "and in half an hour it will be dark. The Spaniards can run
quite as fast as we can--a bit faster, I think; but we can beat
them, close hauled. The wind is falling lighter and lighter. If it
was not for that, we would haul our wind and be off on the other
tack, and throw all of them out. But it will be a dead calm before
long, and they will be either lowering all their boats to attack
us, or towing their ships up to us. If we were close under the land
they might miss us, but they will b