d upon by all as a very suspicious craft.
Under what flag she sailed was a question, but it was very evident that
she was a man-of-war, a privateer, or a pirate. She was an armed
vessel--she was not a British man-of-war--she might be an English
privateer, but she had the look of a foreigner.

By degrees the suspicions respecting the character of the stranger
increased, till few had any doubt that he was an enemy. Captain,
Winslow, however, was not to be intimidated by the appearance of the
ship. Captain Winslow had probably made up his own mind as to what he
would do, but, under the circumstances of the case, he judged it
necessary to call his officers and the principal passengers together, to
ask their opinion as to what course should be pursued. Colonel Armytage
was, of course, summoned to the consultation. The captain opened the
proceedings.

"No one will doubt that, should the sail in sight prove an enemy--for
that has not yet been ascertained--we should run for it," he observed.
"There is no disgrace in that; our business is to carry passengers and
cargo, and we shall do wisely to stick to our business as long as we
can; but the question, gentlemen, which I have to submit to your
consideration is, shall we fight and defend our ship, the passengers and
property confided to our care, or shall we yield to what may prove
superior force?"

"Superior force or not, I say, sir, by the powers! let us fight it out
to the last, and drive off the enemy," exclaimed the first mate. He
spoke out of order, but his opinion was echoed by his brother officers,
and by most of the passengers, Colonel Armytage was in favour of
fighting to the last.

"Should she prove a privateer, and we take her, we should do well to
hang every one of her crew up to the yard-arm as pirates, for they are
in no degree better," he exclaimed, in a tone which showed his annoyance
at the prospect of so disagreeable an interruption to their voyage.

"We shall do well to take the enemy before we decide what is to be done
with him," observed the captain.

Some few of the passengers were for temporising measures; they proposed
hoisting a flag of truce, and endeavouring to come to terms with the
enemy.

"Not very likely, gentlemen, that if the enemy think they have the power
to take the ship, and everything on board her, they will be content with
a portion," answered the captain. "The majority are decidedly for
fighting; we will prepare the ship fo