nd
as a craft of our rig is a rather unusual sight just about here, it is
not improbable that her skipper may wish to learn a little more about
us. What is she--English or French, think you?"

"I believe she is French," was the reply. "I had a good look at her
canvas as she hove about, and it appeared to me to be decidedly
Frenchified in shape."

We were already hugging the wind as closely as was possible, and had
every possible inch of canvas spread; so we could do nothing but stand
on as we were going, and await the course of events.

Her sails rose rapidly above the horizon for the first hour or so, but
after that, as we brought her more _on_ our quarter, they began to sink
again. When about abeam of us, the stranger hoisted the tricolour at
her gaff-end, fired a gun, and showed a signal from her main-royal mast-
head, of which we could make nothing. We, however, hoisted the French
flag also, and left them to make the best they could of it. After the
first signal had been flying some time, it was hauled down, and another
substituted, but with no better luck than before, and it was soon hauled
down.

"She is after us, for a guinea," said I.

"Ay, ay, nae doot o' that," quoth the old quarter-master; "but she'll no
catch us the gait she's ganging the noo. This is oor ain weather, and I
wad like brawly to see the _freegate_ that can beat us wi' nae mair wind
than this. Yon Frenchman wad gie a hantle o' siller to see the breeze
freshen, but it'll no do that yet awhile."

The frigate stood on until she was well upon our weather quarter, by
which time the heads of her topgallantsails were just visible from the
deck, when, to remove any doubt that might have remained as to her
intentions, she once more hove in stays and stood after us.

I went below and looked anxiously at the barometer; it was perfectly
steady. I then returned to the deck and keenly scrutinised the sky; it
was covered with patches of thin fleecy cloud which allowed the sun to
show through, with broad patches of clear blue sky between; and the
breeze was just fresh enough to curl the tops of the wavelets over in
tiny flecks of foam, and to heel the "Vigilant" until our lee covering-
board was just awash, with the clear, sparkling water occasionally
welling up through the lee scuppers. It was, indeed, as old Sandy had
remarked, the weather in which the little "Vigilant" stepped out to the
greatest advantage, and I had very little fear of any