e captain. "A sail running down towards us," he
observed; "it is to be hoped that she is a friend, for we are in a sorry
plight to meet with a foe." The captain's remark made me feel not a
little anxious as to the character of the approaching stranger. After a
time it became evident that the wind was really falling. The wreck of
the mast was at last cleared away, but a calm sea would be required
before we could attempt to get up a jury-mast. We had watched the
approach of the stranger: she was steering directly for us. As she drew
nearer I saw O'Carroll examining her narrowly through the glass. "Here
comes the _Flying Dutchman_ again," I observed to Stubbs.

"Not at all certain that she isn't," he answered, quite in a serious
tone.

"No, she's not that, but she's ten times worse," exclaimed O'Carroll;
"she is the _Mignonne_, as I am a seaman, and will be bothering us
pretty considerably, depend on that."

We heartily hoped that he was mistaken, but certainly she was very like
the craft we had seen at Saint Salvador. She passed us as near as the
heavy sea still running would allow her to do without danger to herself.
A man was standing in the mizen rigging. I caught sight of his face
through my telescope. I thought that I distinguished a look of
satisfaction in his countenance as he gazed at us. "That's La Roche; I
know the villain!" cried O'Carroll; "I thought from what I heard that he
was bound out here. He'll work us ill, depend on that." We now wished
that the sea had continued to run as high as it had hitherto been doing,
when it would have been impossible for the privateer to have boarded us.
It was now, however, rapidly going down, though as yet it was too rough
to allow her to attempt to run alongside. It was possible that she
might pass us. No! After running on a short distance her yards were
braced sharp up, and she stood back, with the evident intention of
attacking our helpless craft.

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Note 1. Contrivances to prevent articles falling off a table at sea.

Note 2. We never hear of the _Flying Dutchman_ now-a-days. The fact is
that he had the monopoly of sailing or going along rather in the teeth
of the wind. Now steamers have cut him out, and he is fain to hide his
diminished head.

CHAPTER FIVE.

A DESPERATE ENCOUNTER.

O'Carroll's alarm increased as he saw the privateer approaching. "We
shall all have