ard. It was Roger's morning watch;
the wind had been light during the latter part of the night. Soon after
dawn broke the look-out shouted, "Two sail on the starboard bow." Roger
ran aloft to have a look at them. They were frigates, as far as he
could judge at the distance they were off, and he hoped might prove to
be part of the pirate squadron. Watching the strangers narrowly, he
observed a third vessel,--then a fourth, some way farther off. This
left him little doubt that they formed part of the piratical squadron of
which the _Ruby_ was in search. Having satisfied himself on this point,
he came below and went to inform the Captain, who was quickly on deck.

"I am in great hopes that you are right, Willoughby," he said, after he
had taken a survey of the strangers. "We will make the _Ruby_ look as
much like a merchantman as possible, and perhaps draw them down upon
us."

This was easily done in a light wind; the vessel's course was changed to
the northward, the yards were irregularly braced. The strangers,
whether they suspected the ruse or not, stood on, expecting, if they
were pirates, probably to gain an easy victory over the lumbering
merchantman. Captain Benbow now ordered his ship to be got ready for
action; and, collecting his crew aft, told them that they were likely to
have a pretty sharp encounter, and that much depended on the way they
worked their guns and trimmed sails, as he might direct them. Three
large vessels were seen approaching, while two more appeared in the
distance; they were evidently not aware of the character of the _Ruby_,
or they would have come on in very different fashion. It appeared as if
the object of each of them was to be the first to get up to pillage her
before the arrival of her consorts. When, however, the leading frigate
got almost within range, it seemed to strike her captain that the _Ruby_
was not altogether like a heavy merchantman. Instead of coming on, she
suddenly hauled her tacks aboard and stood back towards her consorts.
The _Ruby_ on this made all sail in chase; the frigate, however, was a
fast craft and kept well ahead. As they saw the _Ruby_ coming, the
strangers in succession hauled to the wind and steered to the westward,
the frigate which had been leading making signals to the rest, till all
five were collected together. At first they appeared as if they
intended to try and make their escape, and Roger had begun to fear that
they would get off