ason was now so far advanced as to render the old stability of the
breezes a little uncertain. The zephyr had come early, and it had come
fresh; but there were symptoms of a sirocco about the barometer and in
the atmosphere. This rendered all in the ships eager to secure their
prize before a shift of wind should come. Now that there were three fast
vessels in chase, none doubted of the final result; and Cuffe paced the
quarter-deck of the Proserpine, rubbing his hands with delight, as he
regarded all the propitious signs of the times.

The Ringdove was ordered by signal to haul up south-southwest, or close
on a wind, with a view to make such an offing as would prevent the
possibility of the lugger's getting outside of the ships, and gaining
the wind of them; an achievement Cuffe thought she might very well be
enabled to accomplish, could she once fairly come by the wind under
circumstances that would prevent any of his vessels from bringing her
under their guns. The Terpsichore was directed to run well into the bay,
to see that a similar artifice was not practised in that direction;
while the Proserpine shaped her own course at the angle that would
intercept the chase, should the latter continue to stand on.

It was an easy thing for the French to set all their canvas, the hamper
of a lugger being so simple. This was soon done; and Pintard watched the
result with intense interest, well knowing that everything now depended
on heels, and ignorant what might be the effect of her present trim on
the sailing of his beautiful craft. Luckily some attention had been paid
to her lines, in striking in the ballast again; and it was soon found
that the vessel was likely to behave well. Pintard thought her so light
as to be tender; but, not daring to haul up high enough to prove her in
that way, it remained a matter of opinion only. It was enough for him
that she lay so far to the west of south as to promise to clear the
point of Piane, and that she skimmed along the water at a rate that bade
fair to distance all three of her pursuers. Anxious to get an offing,
however, which would allow him to alter his course at night in more
directions than one, he kept luffing, as the wind favored, so as
sensibly to edge off the land.

As the two chases commenced their flight quite a mile to the southward
of the ships, having that much the start of them on account of the
position of the rocks, it rendered them both tolerably free from all
dang