er of shot at the beginning of the race. The course steered by
Ithuel soon placed him beyond their reach altogether; and Cuffe knew
that little would be gained, while much might be lost, in making any
attempt of this sort on the lugger. Consequently not a gun was fired;
but the result was thrown fairly on the canvas and on the sailing of the
respective vessels.

Such was the state of things at the beginning of this chase. The wind
freshened fast, and soon blew a strong breeze; one that drove the ships
ahead under clouds of studding-sails and staysails--the latter being
much used at that period--at the rate of quite ten knots the hour. But
neither gained on le Feu-Follet. The course was by no means favorable to
her, the wind being well on her quarter; still, she rather gained than
was gained on. All four vessels went off rapidly to the southward, as a
matter of course; nor was it long before they were to leeward of the
felucca, which had both shortened sail and hauled up to the eastward, as
soon as Ithuel felt satisfied he was not to be followed. After a
sufficient time had elapsed, the Holy Michael tacked, and came out of
the bay, crossing the wake of the Terpsichore just beyond gunshot. Of
course, this manoeuvre was seen from the frigate; and the padrone of the
felucca tore his hair, threw himself on the quarter-deck, and played
many other desperate antics, in the indulgence of his despair, or to
excite sympathy: but all in vain; the lieutenant was obstinate, refusing
to alter tack or sheet to chase a miserable felucca, with so glorious an
object in full view before him as the celebrated lugger of Raoul Yvard.
As a matter of course, Ithuel passed out to sea unmolested; and it may
as well be said here that in due time he reached Marseilles in safety,
where the felucca was sold, and the Granite-seaman disappeared for a
season. There will be occasion to speak of him only once again in
this legend.

The trial of speed must soon have satisfied Pintard that he had little
to apprehend from his pursuers, even with the breeze there was. But
circumstances favored the lugger. The wind hauled materially to the
northward, and before the sun set it enabled the French to run off
wing-and-wing, still edging from the land. It now began to blow so
heavily as to compel the ships to reduce their light canvas. Some time
before the night set in, both frigates and the sloop were under
maintopgallant-sails only, with topmast and lower studdi