he old barkie; there's few could stand it
as she does. I never seed any one carry on so as our skipper does, this
blessed day--no, neither now, nor since the time I first went afloat."

"Nor I neither, old ship," answered Jem. "But for that matter, as the
parson says, there's a time to stay at anchor, and a time to make sail,
and go along as if the devil was a driver--only I do wish that that ere
beggar astern was right ahead now, and that we was a chasin' her, and
every now and then a slappin' at her with our bow-chasers."

"Right, Jem--my sentiments is the same; but if you comes for to go to
look into the rights of the case, like a man should do, why you sees as
how, if she has got twenty guns, which can sink us from where our shot
can't reach 'em, and we has only got four guns, for the Quakers only has
to do when you comes to frighten people at a distance, then you see as
how it's wiser for we to run away, while we has got legs to run with,
than to try to run when we are on our way to the bottom."

"Jobson!" cried the master, addressing the carpenter, who had just
spoken, "sound the well, and see if she's made any water."

Jobson performed his duty, and reported two feet of water in the hold.

"She's made that, sir, though, since we began to carry on. She was as
dry as a cork yesterday," he observed.

"I did not expect less, though," returned the master. "She must be
strong not to let it in faster. We'll sound again in another half
hour."

For the first two or three hours of the chase, it was difficult to
determine whether the stranger gained on them or not: but, by the time
five had passed away, she had clearly come up very much. Bowse looked
at his topmasts and topsail-yards, and then at the lee-scuppers, and
shook his head. He was meditating the possibility of shaking out
another reef. He wished that he could divine some method to induce the
stranger to set more sail; but this hope had failed, for as he was
gaining on them without it, he was not likely to do so. The master
watched him anxiously through his glass. He seemed to stand up well to
his canvas, and there was but little chance of his carrying anything
away. On coming to this conclusion, Bowse began to consider whether it
would not be more prudent to shorten sail himself, so as to be in better
condition to meet the enemy when he should come up--a result which he
feared must, sooner or later, occur. Even should the weather moderate,
the p