ew zealously
entered into them. The pirates were working for their liberties and
their lives. The water flew hissing from the bows of the boat, and
leaped in spray from the blades of our oars as they clove the surface.

"Give way, my lads! give way!" was the cry we all uttered. "Give way;
we are gaining on them. Huzza! huzza!"

It was, however, a question whether we were really gaining on them. Our
excitement made us fancy we were. We were armed all this time, it must
be remembered; but we could not venture to fire on the boat, for
although we had no doubt that the brig in the offing was the _Emu_, and
that she belonged to her, we had not the proof the law requires. The
moment Van Graoul saw the pirate's boat turn tail, he slipped his cable,
and, making sail, stood after us. We had thus two chances. If the boat
got on board the brig before we could overtake her, we might still
follow in the schooner with a prospect of success. The boat held her
own. It became a matter of great doubt whether we should overtake her.
An oar might break, or one of her crew might give in. If we could have
fired, we should probably have stopped her, by wounding one or more
people. As it was, we had our speed alone to depend on. "Give way!
give way, my lads!" I heard Fairburn and Barlow shouting. "Huzza! we
are gaining on them! huzza! huzza!"

CHAPTER TWENTY TWO.

The stranger brig seeing her boat pursued, tacked again and stood
towards the shore. As she drew near the mouth of the harbour, she must
also have observed the _Fraulein_ running out after us; and this must
have given her an idea of how matters were going on. The people in the
boat, in the meantime, either from seeing help so near at hand, or from
growing weary, relaxed their efforts, and we were now evidently coming
up with her. There seemed, indeed, a good chance of our reaching her
before she got alongside the brig. Had we before had any doubt of the
character of the stranger, he soon left us none; for, seeing his boat
hard pressed, by keeping away for an instant he brought his broadside to
bear, and let fly four guns at us.

"Is that your game!" exclaimed Fairburn. "We know you then, my fine
fellow." Standing up for an instant, he levelled a musket at the boat,
and fired. The shot struck her, but we could not see if any one was
wounded; and the shot had the effect of exciting the people to fresh
exertions.

They found that we were in earnest, and