an firing as fast as the
muskets could be loaded, and the Greeks were compelled to crouch down in
the bottom of their boat to avoid the shot. Zappa kept his seat boldly
at the helm. A reef, as I said, ran off the mouth of the harbour on the
eastern side, and, to double it, so as to regain the mistico, it would
be necessary to make one if not more tacks, and here the light gigs
would have an immense advantage over him. The distance to the point
round which he must go was about three-quarters of a mile, but he
already had a good start, and, if no other accident happened, he might
hope to beat round it before the gigs could come up with him. He must
now, however, depend entirely on his sail, for neither of the two
wounded men were fit to pull an oar, and, with a diminished crew, the
chances would be against him, should the wind fail. It was an animating
struggle, and equally exciting to pursuers and pursued. Zappa
encouraged his followers, and urged them to persevere to the last,
hinting at the certainty of a rope and running noose, as the
alternative, if they were caught. Linton, on his part, cheered on his
men, and told them the safety of their beloved captain, as well as that
of a young countrywoman, depended on their overtaking the pirate.

The body of poor Knox, who had been killed, was laid down at the bottom
of the boat, and Togle, who was midshipman of the gig, took his place,
so that they very soon recovered the ground which had been lost. As
they cleared the western shore of the harbour, the wind was found to
draw more up its coast, and fresh off the water, and a slight sea came
rolling in, sparkling brightly in the sunshine, adding a life and beauty
to the scene, with which the work of death going on was sadly
disconsonant. The British seamen cheered, and bent to their oars with
renewed vigour, making the spray fly in showers, full of rainbow hues,
over the bows, as Linton spoke to them, though they wanted no fresh
stimulus to urge them to exertion.

"They will have to tack presently, and we shall soon be alongside them,"
he exclaimed. "We will pay them off, my men, and, if we do not catch
them the first tack, we will the second."

Meantime Zappa held on his course, firing occasionally at the boats, but
with less success than at first. When also he round that the wind
headed him, he began to calculate that the enemy would, to a certainty,
be alongside him before he could weather the point, and that