stop her way when once she feels it," cried
Fairburn; and we acted on his judicious advice.

Shortly after we had hoisted in our boats, the _Fraulein_ got clear of
the harbour, and bending over to the breeze, which now with full force
filled her sails, she flew like an arrow after the chase. The stranger
had by this time got about two miles ahead; a distance, however, which,
with the fast-sailing qualities of the _Fraulein_, might easily be
passed over. It were vain to attempt a description of my feelings as I
walked the deck, while in pursuit of the pirate.

"We must overtake her," I exclaimed. "She cannot again escape us."

"Don't be too sure," observed Van Graoul. "She has slipped away from us
before, and may do so again."

She was then standing on a bowline to the northward, away from the land.
We did not fire, for our shot would not have reached her; and thus
silently, but with eager haste, we pursued our course. All hands were
on deck, watching her anxiously; the crew standing together in knots,
and discussing the strangeness of her appearance. The greater number
were assembled and Dick Harper, their favourite oracle. He shook his
head very wisely when asked his opinion.

"Do you see, shipmates," he observed, "she got away once from us when we
thought we had hold of her; so there's no reason why she shouldn't slip
out of our sight again. To my mind, there's no depending on those sort
of chaps."

The answer was a careful one; and it was by making such that he had
gained so much credit among his shipmates, for he was never proved to be
wrong; and when he predicted what afterwards occurred, he always took
care that the fact should be well-known on all sides.

My feelings, as I watched the stranger, were, of course, far more
intense than those of my officers or crew; and so eagerly did I watch,
that I fancied I could note every inch we gained or lost in the chase,
as the wind alternately favoured one or the other of us. Of one thing I
felt very certain, that since we had had a fair start we had materially
gained upon her. Fairburn was of the same opinion.

Van Graoul only shook his head, and said, "Wait a bit; better never to
be sure."

Still on we flew--the water bubbling and hissing under the bows of the
schooner as she clove her way through. Though the wind was strong,
there was, at the same time, little sea. The two miles had now been
decreased to one and a half, by Fairburn's and my computa