st signal and summary against the traitor, offering, at the same
time, a large reward for his, her, or their apprehension. Alas, poor
man! he did not know that the traitor was of his own kith and kin, his
own beloved niece.

His next movement was to send an officer at full gallop to the Venganza,
or rather to the landing place, commanding her captain to despatch boats
to the American ship in the outer harbor, and search for the fugitives.
Don Diego Pinto, the commander of the Venganza, who had obtained a spare
fore-yard from the dock-yard, rigged and swayed it aloft the night that
he came in, instantly concluded that the escape had been effected by the
American captain, and that the Albatross had immediately sailed.
Impressed with this idea, he weighed anchor forthwith, and, favored by a
fresh breeze from the land, was convinced by eight o'clock that morning
that his conjecture was right.

How the governor bore the news of his niece's elopement we have never
been able precisely to discover, but have understood vaguely that he
displayed infinitely more warm and tender feelings than he had
heretofore had credit for.

CHAPTER XXL.

There was an ancient sage philosopher
That had read Alexander Ross over,
And swore the world, as he could prove,
Was made of fighting and of love.
Just so romances are, for what else
Is in them all but love and battles?
O' the first of these we've no great matter
To treat of, but a world o' the latter.

HUDIBRAS.

The breeze that brought the Venganza within sight, was in a very short
time felt likewise by the Albatross; but it gradually hauled to the
southward, thereby giving the American the advantage of the wind, or
weather-gage. Still it was evident that the Spaniard was the superior
sailer, and that he might, if he chose, soon be alongside; but he seemed
to be aware that preparations had been made by the Yankee commander and
his crew to give him a very warm reception. Accordingly he shortened
sail and tacked, with the hope of getting to windward; but in this he
was foiled by the Albatross tacking also, and, in spite of all the
Spaniard's manoeuvring, retaining the advantage that the wind gave
her.

The crew of the American were all this time quietly leaning on their
guns, and watching the evolutions of their antagonist; and commenting
upon every movement with as much composure as though their own ship