est, as there soon appeared reason
to believe was the case in the present instance, that I will not weary
the reader by describing it, but, for the present, will leave His
Majesty's ship _Ione_ running under all sail, in chase of a suspicious
craft, towards the island-studded shores of Greece.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN.

Never did the _Ione_ go along at greater speed under the same canvas
than she was doing in chase of the Greek brig; but fast as she went, she
gained little, if anything, on the vessel she pursued. No two crafts
could have been better matched. The chances were all, therefore, in
favour of the escape of the latter. She was four miles ahead, and she
kept that distance. She might carry away a mast or spar, and thus the
_Ione_ might come up with her; or it might fall calm, and she might be
overhauled by the boats, but the pursuer was just as likely to receive
some damage, and thus she had most to fear a calm. If she could manage
to hold her own till night came on, she would be able to haul her wind
on either tack with very little danger of being discovered. The
officers walked the deck with impatient steps. It was provoking to have
a vessel just ahead of them, and which they all felt almost sure was the
one they were in search of, and yet be unable to come up with her.

"If we could but get her within range of our guns, there would be some
satisfaction in peppering at her," said Jemmy Duff, who, with several of
his messmates had gone on the forecastle to have a better view of the
chase. "I'd give a month's pay to have only one slap at her."

"That's not any overwhelming sum, Jemmy, though," observed Togle,
laughing. "I'd give the whole of my half-pay for a year, and all the
fortune you're ever likely to leave me, to have her within range of our
guns for ten minutes."

"Mighty generous you are, indeed," said Jack Raby. "By that way of
reckoning, whoever got the half-pay would be sadly out of pocket, as a
midshipman's half-pay is nothing, and find himself; if he accepted the
one, he would have to pay for your grub, and whoever gets Jemmy's
fortune won't have much duty to pay, I'll bet."

"No; I must consider my rank in the service my fortune, whenever I have
to propose to a young lady," answered Duff, putting his hand on his
heart, with a sentimental look. "But, I say, can't we do something to
get hold of that fellow ahead of us?"

"Why, I suppose he'll fetch the land one of these days, and then,