us alongside him, Mildmay," exclaimed the skipper in an ecstasy of
delight. "Stand by with the grappling-irons fore and aft. Mr Smellie,
stand by to lead a party on board him forward; I will attend to matters
aft here."

It really looked for a moment as though we actually had the brig; but a
chill of disappointment thrilled through me when I saw how splendidly
she was handled. The man who commanded her was evidently equal to any
emergency, for no sooner did the craft begin to luff into the wind than
he let fly his after braces, shivered his main topsail, and hauled his
head sheets over to windward, and--after a pause which must have sent
the hearts of all on board into their mouths--the brig began to pay off
again, until, by a deft and dainty manipulation of her canvas, she was
actually got dead before the wind, when the main yard was squared and
away she went once more but little the worse for her serious mishap.

If her skipper, however, was a thorough seaman, so too was old Mildmay.
That experienced veteran soon saw how matters were tending, and though
he was unable to "ram" us alongside in accordance with Captain Vernon's
energetically expressed desire, he placed the _Daphne_ square in the
wake and to windward of the brig, and within half a cable's length of
her, thus, to some extent, taking the wind out of her sails, the effect
of which was that we immediately began to gain upon her.

The crew of the brig now worked at their stern-chasers with redoubled
energy, and our running-gear soon began to suffer. But though we might
to some extent have avoided this by sheering away on to one or other of
the brig's quarters, the position we then held was so commanding that
the skipper resolved to maintain it. "We must grin and bear it," said
he, "it will not be for long; another five minutes will place us
alongside. Edge down a trifle toward his port quarter, Mildmay, as
though we intended to board him on that side, then, at the last moment,
sheer sharply across his stern and range up on his starboard side, it
_may_ possibly save us a broadside as we board. Mr Smellie, kindly
load both batteries with round and grape, if you please; we will deliver
our broadside and board in the smoke."

Within the specified five minutes we ranged up alongside the brig,
delivered our broadside, receiving hers in return, her hands proving too
smart to let us escape that; our grappling-irons were securely hooked
into her rigging, and