ubt what they were, and all
day we continued hovering about them, like a bird of prey ready to
pounce down on its victim. We got near enough to make out a man-of-war
in the van, and another in the centre of the fleet, while a number of
stragglers brought up the rear. Of some of these latter we hoped to
make prizes. Having ascertained this much, we stood off again from
them, that, should our appearance have raised their suspicions, they
might be again set to rest. Marking well the course they were steering,
we knew that we should easily again fall in with them.

The nights, to favour our enterprise, had been very dark, so that we
might hope to pick out several, provided no noise was made, without
being discovered. We waited anxiously for night to put our enterprise
into execution; and as the sun set, we crowded all sail to come up with
the convoy. Few vessels could surpass the schooner in her sailing
qualities, which made her peculiarly fitted for the sort of work she was
employed in.

By midnight, we made out on our starboard-bow several sail, which we had
no doubt were some of the sternmost vessels of the French convoy; so we
stood towards them without hesitation. If any of the Frenchmen caught
sight of the privateer, they probably took her for one of their own
fleet. Slowly, their dark, misty-like forms glided by, while we watched
them with eager eyes, wondering which the captain would select as our
first victim. At last came a large brig. She was somewhat high out of
the water, and her main-topgallant-mast had been carried away.

"That's the craft for us, boys!" cried Captain Savage, pointing her out.
"Her cargo's light, and probably the most valuable; and I doubt not
that she has some wealthy passengers with their jewel-boxes with them.
We will run them aboard, and try if we can't take them without firing a
shot!"

We had got to windward of the fleet, and the helm being put up, we edged
down towards the brig which it had been determined to take. In dead
silence we approached our victim. As we drew near, the stranger
observed us, and her people must have suspected that all was not right.
He hailed, and inquired what schooner we were.

"The French schooner _Concorde_," answered our captain, who knew that a
vessel of that name had been out in the West Indies. For a short time
the answer seemed to satisfy the Frenchmen; but seeing us approach still
nearer, they hailed again, and told us to keep off.