, and the spray leaping up on either side, and
streaming over us in thick showers. The white canvas bulged, and
tugged, and tugged, till I thought it would carry the masts away, and
fly out of the bolt-ropes. Captain Bruno, however, gave no orders to
take it in. He looked astern; the corvette was going along as fast as
we were--perhaps faster. This was not an occasion for shortening sail.
The crew seemed to have the same opinion. They were fighting with
halters round their necks, every one full well knew; and though this
consciousness may make men desperate when brought to bay, it will
assuredly make them run away like arrant cowards if they have a
possibility of escape.

The sea by this time had got up considerably, and the schooner began to
pitch into it as she ran before the wind. The corvette at first came on
rather more steadily, but she likewise soon began to feel the effects of
the troubled water; and away we both went, plunging our bows into the
sea as we dashed rapidly onward. I could not help feeling that the
movements of both vessels showed that serious work was going on. The
corvette, with her wide fields of canvas spread aloft, every sail
bulging out to its utmost extent, looked as if intent on the pursuit;
while the eager, hurried way in which the schooner struggled on amid the
foaming waves, made it appear as if she were indued with consciousness,
and was aware that her existence depended on her escaping her pursuer.

It was now blowing a perfect gale. Every instant, as I kept looking
aloft, I expected to hear some dreadful crash, and to see the topmasts
come tumbling down over our heads; but though the top-gallant-masts bent
and writhed like fishing-rods with a heavy fish at the end of the line,
they were too well set up by the rigging to yield, even with the
enormous pressure put on them.

Captain Bruno called Silva to him again. They held a consultation for
some minutes. They looked at the corvette, and then at their own sails.
The result was, that some of the people were summoned aft, and once
more the long guns were run out, and, watching their opportunity, as the
stern of the vessel lifted, they opened fire on their pursuer. "If we
could but knock away their fore-topmast with all that spread of canvas
on it, we should very soon run her out of sight," observed Silva,
stooping down to take aim. He fired. The canvas stood as before; but,
as far as we could judge, the shot had reached th