, gentlemen. We'll
lead her a long chase, and find her a warm reception at the end of it, I
hope."

"She's not alone, though!" exclaimed Bowse, whose eyesight was
remarkably keen. "There's another close astern of her, and, by heaven,
there's another just rounding the point. We shall have enough of them
to look after us, at all events."

"It matters little how many, provided we keep ahead of the leading one,"
said Captain Fleetwood, in a cheerful tone, not as much for the object
of encouraging his rude companions, as for the sake of keeping up Ada's
spirits. "I don't think any of them are likely to pull much faster than
we do."

These remarks were made slowly and at intervals, and perhaps even fewer
words were really used, as any one who has pulled a heavy oar, for life
and death, will know the utter impossibility of carrying on an unbroken
conversation, as I have written it down.

They had by this time nearly doubled the distance they were from the
shore when the first boat was seen, and had thus gained the best part of
half a mile from the harbour's mouth. The nearest of the pirate's boats
was rather more than a quarter of a mile off, which in a stern chase,
with slow-pulling boats, was a considerable distance.

The other boats they would not have seen at that distance, had not, as
they pulled out, a gleam of moonshine fallen on their bows, and tinged
their foaming wake with a line of gold, as they rounded the point before
they could stand to the westward in pursuit. The night remained as calm
and beautiful as at first, and the moon, though still young, afforded
sufficient light to enable the pursuers and pursued to distinguish each
other, as they urged their boats through the water.

Fleetwood's arrangements had been as follows: Provided the weather was
sufficiently moderate, in Mr Saltwell's opinion, with whom all
authority rested, to permit him to venture to sea, with safety, in an
open boat, he was to get under-weigh, in the _Ione_ every evening; to
stand in till within sight of the island, and to send the boats on with
all hands, well armed, to within about two miles of the island, due west
of the harbour, or much nearer if the night should prove dark; but they
were especially to avoid any risk of being seen from the island. As
morning dawned they were to retire gradually, keeping a bright look-out
for him, and they were then to return on board, and the _Ione_ was to
stand back to her anchorage.

A