r
evidently either confident in their innocence, or unconscious of an
enemy being near them. The hull of the schooner lay concealed from any
one in the outer part of the harbour. Even were she seen, appearing to
be quietly at anchor, with no one on her decks, she might, we hoped,
fail to excite suspicion. As the boat advanced, we slipped round on the
opposite side of the schooner to conceal ourselves from her sight. Her
crew bent manfully to their oars. In a short time longer we hoped she
would be in our power. The plan arranged was, that Fairburn and Barlow
were to pull directly for her, while I was to proceed down towards the
mouth of the harbour to intercept her, should she attempt to pull back
before they reached her. At first, we hoped that her people would not
suspect that we had any intention of interfering with them. She now had
got so far up, that Van Graoul could see her from the deck; and he, with
his glass in his hand, was the only person that appeared.

"She comes on bravely," he exclaimed. "Pull away, my lads. Ah, you
pull well! We shall soon know what you are made of." He was silent for
a moment. "Ah! she has ceased pulling!" he cried. "They are suspicious
of something. Ah, they are pulling round! It is the _Emu's_ boat. Off
they go again to the vessel. After her; and you may give way, my lads,
in earnest."

There was no necessity for another order; we shoved off in a moment, and
the men bending to their oars, away we all three went in chase. At
first, the stranger's boat was pulling leisurely enough; but when we
were discovered, her crew gave way with all their strength, as if their
lives depended on it. This alone would have convinced us that the brig
was the _Emu_; they probably suspecting the schooner to belong to the
Dutch navy. As we dashed out, we now saw to our chagrin, that the
pirate's boat, for so I will call her, was ahead of us; that is, she was
nearer towards the mouth of the harbour by the time we got into the
fairway, while the brig, which had tacked, had now stood over to the
opposite side to which we were. This gave her a great advantage. We
cheered on our men, and they indeed gave way with a will. I never had
felt so excited. My great object seemed near of attainment, should Eva
and Mrs Clayton be on board the brig, and should we succeed in
capturing the boat. Every nerve was strained to the utmost. I was
influenced by the most powerful of feelings, and my cr