fired,
and the shot flew through our rigging.

"Now give it her, my lads," I sung out. "Blaze away!"

The men were not slow to obey the order. Our broadside told with
fearful effect. Many of our shot tore along her decks, killing and
wounding a considerable number of her crew. Notwithstanding this the
schooner stood after us. From the spirited way in which she came on I
thought that she must be American, and, knowing the rich prize we should
prove, had determined at all risks to get hold of us. She only carried
six guns, but they were heavier than ours, and while her crew were amply
strong to man them, mine could not fight more than half the guns we had.
The contest, therefore, was much more equal than at first appeared to
be the case. Still I had not much fear as to the results, especially if
the privateer really was Spanish, for however bravely or furiously
Spaniards come on, and however much bravado they make, I have always
found that they never can withstand English pluck and determination. As
soon as we had fired our first broadside we loaded again as fast as we
could, while the schooner gave us the contents of her three guns from
one side, and was about to keep away and run under our stern to fire the
three on the other--the first having done us no little damage, wounded
one of our masts, and cut a poor fellow almost in two--but just as she
was on the point of firing we let fly four or five of our after guns
right down upon her, and one of the shot striking the helmsman, knocked
him over, and before another man could take his place the schooner had
flown up again into the wind. Her starboard broadside not being loaded,
we were able to give her another dose before she was ready to fire, and
in the meantime the report of the guns being heard on board the
Lowestoffe, she was seen standing towards us under all sail.

The privateer had now had quite sufficient taste of our quality, and
greatly to my vexation and to that, I believe, of everyone on board, she
hauled her wind and stood away from us on a bow-line, a point of sailing
on which we had no chance of overtaking her. We gave her, however, a
parting salute and three cheers and many a hearty wish that she had
stopped to receive the thrashing we all felt confident we should have
bestowed on her.

The Lowestoffe soon came up and chased her for a few miles, having in
the course of it recaptured a prize which the privateer had just before
taken. Had not