the stunsails, for your lives, or she will be too quick for
us!"

What I feared and expected had come to pass. Our heavy shot had fairly
frightened the people aboard the galley; they realised at last that a
trick had been played upon them, and her commander's great anxiety now
evidently was to get as quickly as possible out of the trap that he had
been decoyed into. And, with this object, he had suddenly lowered his
sails and put his helm hard over, with the object of returning by the
way that he had come. But we were to windward of the galley, and, our
stunsails coming in with a run, we were able to haul close upon a wind
almost as quickly as the galley, when--the latter now depending upon her
oars alone--the schooner proved to be considerably the faster of the
two, thus effectually cutting off our antagonist's escape in that
direction.

"Now, back to your gun, and load as quickly as you like!" exclaimed I;
for I knew that a very critical moment was at hand for us; a moment that
would decide whether it was the galley or ourselves that was to be
victorious. And presently my anticipation became realised; the
Spaniard, finding his escape cut off, again putting over his helm until
the vessel swerved round with her long, keen bows pointing straight at
us. Her commander intended to run us aboard--if he could--and, should
he succeed, the schooner would either be sent to the bottom by the
violence of the shock, or we should fall into the hands of the
Spaniards, to endure, in all probability, a fate even more horrible than
that from which Hoard had escaped.

Straight as an arrow for us came the galley, her two masts keeping
steadily in one as her helmsman relentlessly followed the schooner's
movement through the water, while the long oar-blades now rose and fell
quickly in perfect time, urging the long, snake-like hull toward us at a
speed of fully seven knots. Tom Hardy mopped the perspiration of
excitement from his brow with a bright red handkerchief as he muttered
anathemas upon his previous ill-luck, but I saw that he had pulled
himself together, for his hand was as steady as yours is at this moment
as he gently waved it in direction of those who were training the gun.

"Now, Tom," said I, when he had reported all ready, "this shot must go
home, mind; there must be no missing this time! So take it coolly; let
her approach us to within a hundred fathoms before you think of firing--
I will give you the word--and th