frigates pursuing
the cutter, and the _Flora's_ skipper must have cursed his bad luck
for being caught in this trap. But that unkind haze was favouring the
King's ships to-day, for ere the chase had continued much longer, yet
a third frigate came in sight, whose name was the _Nymph_. This was
too much for the _Flora_ to be chased by three ships each bigger and
better armed than herself. The _Nymph_ headed her off, and the cutter
seeing it was all up reluctantly hove-to. On examination she was
found to have a cargo of gin, brandy, and tobacco, which she would
have succeeded in running ashore had the haze not played such tricks.
However, she had done her best for three exciting hours, for it was
not until six on that wintry evening that she was captured by the
_Nymph_, and if she had been able to hold on a little longer she might
have escaped in the night and got right away and landed her cargo
elsewhere before the sun came out. But, as it was, her skipper James
Dunn had to take his trial, when a verdict was given in favour of the
King, and Dunn was fined L200.

[Illustration: The _Flora_ with the _Fisgard_, _Wasso_, and _Nymph_.]

We must pass over the next two years and travel from one end of the
English Channel to the other till we find ourselves again in Kentish
waters. The year is 1804, and the 14th of June. On this summer's day
at dawn the gun-brig _Jackal_, commanded by Captain Stewart, R.N., was
cruising about to the Nor'ard of the Goodwins. As day broke he was
informed that three smuggling vessels had just been espied in the
vicinity. The latter certainly was not more than three miles from the
land, and it was fairly certain what their intention was. When Captain
Stewart came on deck and convinced himself of their identity he
ordered out his boats, he himself going in one, while one of his
officers took command of another, each boat having about half-a-dozen
men on board.

We mentioned just now how important it was in such cases as this that
the position should be defined as accurately as possible. Immediately
the boats had left the _Jackal_ the pilot of the latter and one of the
crew on board took bearings from the North Foreland and found the
_Jackal_ was about 7-3/4 miles from this landmark. They also took
bearings of the position of the three smuggling luggers, and found
these were about three or four miles off and bore from the _Jackal_ E.
by S.

To return to Captain Stewart and the two boats: for the