her, as she would require as many hands as the
_Supplejack_, and he could ill spare any of his own crew; he thought the
matter over, and called Needham aft to consult with him.

"Well, sir, I was thinking that it would be a good plan to send the
_Venus_ on to Jamaica, to get the assistance of the corvette. She
wouldn't be long in joining us, and we might keep the stranger in play
till then, or if any accident was to happen to us she might come up in
time to take her; not that I doubt, for a moment, that if we can get her
within range of our guns, we should soon make her our prize. It's
rather a tough job I'll allow, as the chase has forty hands or more on
board, and six or eight guns, though it's not likely they are very heavy
metal."

"I like your plan," said Jack; "I was considering that it might
otherwise be necessary to sink one or two of our prizes rather than run
the risk of losing the _Caterina_, for I make sure that that brig out
there is her."

Jack gave the matter a few more minutes' consideration, and, signalling
to the three schooners to heave to, he sent the purser on board the
_Venus_, with directions to Bevan at once to clap on all sail for Port
Royal, and to beg on his arrival there that the corvette, or some other
man-of-war, might be immediately despatched to his assistance. As the
night was dark he hoped that the stranger would not discover that the
_Venus_ had parted company till daylight, when she would have very
little chance of overtaking her.

To prevent the risk of her doing so he hauled up close to the wind,
believing that he should thus soon again get sight of the stranger. He
was not mistaken, for in little more than half an hour he sighted her,
standing the same course as before, but rather more abeam. Keeping away
again, he shortened sail, but she held the same course as before. Thus
the night passed, the stranger could be seen to the southward, while the
coast of Cuba lay broad on the lee-beam, though undistinguishable in the
darkness of night. At length, however, the stranger disappeared, but
Jack felt satisfied that she had not gone in chase of the _Venus_, and
he still hoped to see her again at daylight.

He and the two schooners kept on their course, under easy sail. The
officers in command of the latter were as eager as Jack to bring the
strange brig to action, hoping to take part in the light. Each vessel
had a couple of six-pounders on board, which though not very heav