tly
obeyed. A few only of the crew appeared on deck, and they were soon
seen employed in the usual occupations of a merchantman. The wind was
light, so the schooner began leisurely to set sail after sail, till
every stitch of canvas she could carry was spread. The corvette did the
same, and both vessels were soon going along under a cloud of canvas.
The schooner, we saw, had the advantage. Gradually we were increasing
our distance from the man-of-war. Captain Bruno chuckled audibly.
Still, at times, he cast an anxious look astern.

Jerry and I were allowed to walk about the deck, and to observe what was
going on. We remarked the captain watching the corvette. "Depend on
it," said Jerry, "he has been leaving some forged paper with the
Americans, or playing them some trick which he is afraid will be found
out." I thought at first this must be Jerry's fancy. We had no
opportunity of asking Mr McRitchie's opinion without being overheard.
Away we glided over the smooth ocean. More and more we increased our
distance from the corvette. The further ahead we got, the more Captain
Bruno seemed pleased; and as I watched his countenance, I became
convinced that Jerry's surmises were correct. As we walked the deck and
watched the captain, we agreed that if he dared he would like to wet the
sails to make them hold more wind. An hour or so passed away, when
suddenly the corvette yawed a little, a puff of white smoke appeared,
with a sharp report, and a shot came flying over the water close to us.
"Ah! have you found me out, my friends?" exclaimed Captain Bruno,
leaping down from the taffrail. "All hands on deck! Swing up the long
guns! We must try to wing this fellow before he contrives to clip our
feathers." In an instant everybody was alert: tackles were rove, and,
in a short time, two long and very heavy guns, with their carriages,
were hoisted up from the hold. The guns were quickly mounted and run
out, and a brisk fire kept up at the corvette. She also continued to
fire, but as to do so with effect she had to yaw each time, the
schooner, which could fire her stern guns as fast as she could load
them, had a considerable advantage. It was a game at long bowls, for
the two vessels were already so far apart that it required very good
gunnery to send a shot with anything like a correct aim. Silva seemed
to be one of the best marksmen on board. Several times, when he fired,
the shot went through the sails of the s