on
board the mistico, which directly kept away, and ran to the westward,
evidently to avoid the stranger which she must have just then seen for
the first time.

The ship made the number of the _Venus_, and after standing on some
little time, tacked and stood towards the _Ione_. The mistico, it must
be understood, was now about a mile from the shore, and little more than
the same distance from the west end of the island, while the _Ione_ was
another mile to windward of her, so that if she sailed well, she might
easily get round the point, and then by keeping away among the cluster
of islands and rocks further to the south, very likely escape
altogether.

To avoid this, Fleetwood made the signal to the _Venus_ to bear up and
run round to the south end of the island, to intercept the chase,
trusting to his senior officer following his wishes. Old Rawson was not
a man to stand on etiquette, and if a midshipman had signalised him he
would have obeyed the order, and he instantly put up his helm, and ran
back again out of sight, though the mistico was already too far to the
westward to profit by the change by dodging round in the same direction.

"We must leave the raft to take its chance, sir, while we chase the
mistico, I suppose," asked Saltwell.

"Yes, by all means--haul up a couple of points on the starboard tack."

"Port the helm. Larboard fore braces. Starboard after braces," cried
Saltwell.

"Avast," exclaimed Captain Fleetwood, who had been looking at the raft
through his glass. "Starboard the helm again. Keep her as she was.
The _Venus_ will look after the mistico. There is some one on the raft.
It is the figure of a female, and by heavens she is waving to us. It
is, it must be--"

His agitation was so great, that he was obliged to support himself on
Saltwell's arm, who sprang to his side to catch him, thinking that he
was about to fall to the deck.

The brig ran on till she neared the raft, a boat was lowered--her
captain threw himself into it. He was speedily alongside the raft; in
another moment Ada Garden lay fainting in his arms, overcome with excess
of joy and gratitude to Heaven, and love for him, who had rescued her.
Thus he bore her up the side of his ship, and was about to carry her
below when the report of a gun was heard booming along the water. It
seemed to have the effect of arousing Ada; for at that instant she
opened her eyes, and gazing into her lover's face as she pressed the
ha