assed, and then Jack proposed returning to his lookout
place, to try and make out what was occurring. It was no easy
undertaking, scrambling along over the slippery rocks in the dark, with
a chance, if he lost his hold, of a tumble into some dark deep pool, or
of getting jammed in some crevice, or perhaps being caught by some
prowling ground shark or other monster of the ocean. However, he
reached the point as which he aimed, but he had not been there a minute
before he heard that peculiar sound of heavy blocks working, _cheep,
cheep, cheep_. He made out clearly the tall pointed lateen sails of the
felucca rising from her decks, and then the sound of the windlass
working reached his ears; while a breeze, not felt below and every
moment increasing, fanned his cheeks. He hurried back as fast as he
could to the boat. As he sprang on board, he exclaimed, "The felucca is
under weigh, and there's a breeze off the land."

In a moment the crew threw up their oars, the boat was shoved off from
the rocks, and emerging from their hiding-place, away she started in
chase of the slaver.

CHAPTER TWENTY ONE.

DESPERATE FIGHTING.

On flew the felucca, urged by sails and oars. The _Ranger's_ boat
dashed after her.

"Give way, my lads, give way," cried Hemming; not that his crew required
the slightest inducement to pull as hard as they could lay their backs
to the oars.

The felucca had got considerably the start, and was going through the
water somewhat faster than the man-of-war's boat; the more also she drew
off the land the stronger she got the breeze.

"There's no use longer attempting concealment," cried Hemming, "the
chances are she has made us out already. Get a blue-light ready, Adair.
The frigate will see it by this time, and be on the look out for her.
Rogers, see to the gun forward. You may be able to send a shot into the
felucca and knock away a spar, perhaps."

These orders were promptly obeyed. While Jack sprang forward to fire
the gun, Adair's blue-light, blazing up, cast a lurid glare over the
figures of the crew as they tugged at their oars, and which also
extended far away across the surface of the ocean, while at the same
moment the sharp report of the gun broke the hitherto almost perfect
silence of the night. Jack could not see whether his shot had taken
effect, but he had some hopes that it had. Again, at Hemming's order,
he fired, while, as soon as the first blue-light had gone out, Adair