the
retreating slaver as rapidly as the gun could be loaded, while the two
carronades were worked with equal quickness.

Jack had been so busily employed in defending the brig, that he had had
no time to attend to anything else. He now, for a moment, turned his
glance to windward, when he immediately discovered the cause of the
slaver's flight.

Standing towards him and coming on at a rapid rate was a ship carrying a
press of sail, and a schooner which was quickly recognised as the
_Venus_, by the cut of her sails, as well as by their snowy whiteness.
He could scarcely doubt that the large vessel was the corvette, yet it
would have been impossible for the _Venus_ to have gone to Port Royal,
and to have returned in so short a time.

The slaver, without firing a shot, was doing her best to escape, by
setting all the sail she could carry; her crew being actively employed
in knotting and splicing the rigging, which Needham's shot had already
somewhat damaged.

"Try one more," exclaimed Jack, "and good luck go with it."

Needham took good aim: the shot, passing through the maintopsail, struck
the foretopmast, which fell over the side. A loud cheer burst from the
throats of the English crew, and all hands redoubled their efforts in
repairing their own damages. They were soon able to set the foretopsail
and jib, and get the brig about, and away they went in hot chase after
their antagonist. The latter had not hitherto shown her colours; she
now hoisted an American ensign, but that did not save her from another
iron missile, thrown from Long Tom. She, on this, quickly exchanged the
American colours for those of Spain, which, however, were treated in the
same way, and finding at length that she had no chance of escaping from
her active pursuer, she hauled them down and hove to.

Jack ordered a boat to be lowered, and directed Needham and the only
midshipman remaining with him to board the prize; his other officers,
the doctor and purser, being busily engaged with the wounded men.
Needham was quickly alongside, and stepping on board he found that out
of her crew of forty hands, six had been killed and eight or ten
severely wounded, while her bulwarks and the companion-hatch had been
considerably knocked about. Among the killed was her first officer,
whilst the captain and several others were wounded.

Needham, as directed, inquired for her papers--

"And what is the name of this craft of yours?" he asked, when they