came on deck, and
ordered us to loose top-gallant-sails. On going aloft to obey the
order, as I cast my eyes round the horizon, I saw, right away on our
weather-beam, just rising out of the water, the top-gallant-sails of a
brig, close-hauled, standing, I judged, across our course. I hailed the
deck to say what I had observed; and after the reefs were shaken out of
the topsails, the captain told me to keep aloft to watch the movements
of the stranger. She stood steadily on till she rose her topsails out
of the water, and then, as I judged, on seeing us, kept more away, so as
to cut us off. On hearing this, the captain himself went aloft to have
a look at the stranger. He remained some time, examining her narrowly
through his glass. The breeze had freshened up a good deal, and it was
not a time, I should have supposed, to have made more sail; but the
moment he came down, he ordered us to set studden-sails and royals.

"We must make the craft put her best leg foremost," said he to Peter.
"I do not altogether like the look of that ship out there. She is
certainly not English; and by her movements she seems very much inclined
to overhaul us. Just tell us what you think about the matter."

Peter took the glass, and went aloft. He also was some time there.
When he came down, he handed the glass to the captain without speaking.

"Well, Peter, what do you think of her?" asked the latter. Peter took
off his hat, and passed his hand over his brow. "Why, to say the truth,
Captain Gale, I don't like her looks at all. If ever one craft was like
another, she's like that strange brig which lay becalmed near us the
time when we were attacked before going up the Mediterranean. It's
difficult to tell one vessel from another, but I very much suspect that
she's the very same piratical rascal we before fell in with, and that
this brig is no stranger to her either."

The captain replied, that he was afraid his apprehensions were too
well-founded.

The next question was, how we were to escape from the corsair, should
the stranger really be her. A couple of hours passed away, and although
we were going at a good rate through the water, there could be no doubt
that she was coming up with us. It was now blowing a stiffish breeze,
and I saw the captain and Peter often casting an anxious glance aloft,
to see whether the masts and spars would bear the heavy strain put on
them. Happily there was not much sea; and though the studd