nd all hands stood by to haul inboard again the sail that had
hitherto served so efficiently as a drag. But, beyond this preparation,
no other change was made, the schooner still adhering to her course, as
though only anxious to escape from so formidable an adversary.

About half an hour after bearing up, by which time the galley had neared
us to within about a mile and a half, she fired a shotted gun in the
direction of the galleon, and hoisted her colours. Saunders, to whom I
had communicated my intentions, took no notice whatever of this; nor did
we. The shot fell a long way short, and was of course merely intended
as a hint for the galleon to heave-to. Another quarter of an hour
brought the galley down abreast of us, and about a mile distant, but she
took no notice whatever of us, her object evidently being to recapture
the galleon first, and so secure--as they would suppose--the treasure
that had been embarked aboard her; after which her commander would
doubtless have a word to say to the schooner which had so audaciously
presumed to appropriate, even temporarily, the gold of His Most Catholic
Majesty the King of Spain. As the galley swept past us I observed, with
keen satisfaction, that she was not going much over eight knots; and I
estimated that, when we should have got rid of our drag, we should be
fully a knot and a half better than she was. Of course it would be in
her power to rig out her sweeps to increase her speed; but I considered
that, with the breeze that was then blowing, they would be practically
useless except when going directly head to wind; and what I had to do
was so to manoeuvre the schooner as to cut off her escape in that
direction. What I was chiefly afraid of was that the consorts of the
galley--for I was confident that she had consorts somewhere or other--
were close enough at hand to hear the sound of firing; and to make
certain upon this point I shinned up to the royal-yard and had a good
look round, and I was greatly relieved to find that there was nothing in
sight.

I allowed her to get about a mile to leeward of us, and then, instead of
hauling our drag inboard, as I had at first intended, we cut it adrift
and let it go altogether, at the same time jibbing over our main-boom
and giving chase to the galley. For a space of perhaps ten minutes no
perceptible notice was taken, by those on board the galley, of our
change of tactics; but by the end of that time our sudden and--to th