haul.

The ship was under her three top-sails, spanker and jib, when Mons. Le
Gros thus singularly gave her up to my control; the main-yard lying
square. My first step was to fill the top-sail, and gather way on the
vessel. This was soon done; and, keeping away, I stood on towards the
rocks, which soon bore on our weather bow, determined to run as near them
as I dared, thinking to frighten the Englishman so much, as to induce him
to keep at arm's-length. I might cast away the ship, it is true; but even
this would be preferable to falling again into English hands, with all the
occurrences still so recent. A year or two later, the affair of the
Speedy's men might be forgotten; but while a thing is fresh, there is
always some danger of its creating feeling. At least, thus I reasoned, and
thus I acted.

Once more I had the Dawn under my own orders; and, could I keep the
frigate out of gun-shot, I cared very little for Mons. Le Gros. At first,
the privateersmen supposed that, in filling away, I merely intended to
further their views; but, no sooner did they perceive the ship standing on
to leeward of the passage, than the truth seemed to flash on their
befogged faculties. This was not until the depth of water was ascertained
to be sufficient for their purposes; and such a flourishing of tarpaulins
and greasy caps as succeeded, I had not witnessed for many a day. All
these signals and calls, however, were disregarded; but away went the
Dawn, with her yards just rounded in a point, with the wind fairly abeam,
coasting along as near the islands as I thought it at all prudent to
venture. As for the frigate, she was still keeping her luff, in order to
get far enough to windward to make sure of her prey. At this moment, the
two ships might have been a league asunder.

Mons. Le Gros was no sooner aware of the trick I had played him, than out
he dashed with his fishing-boat, making sail in chase, and helping his
dull craft along with half a dozen oars. Seeing this, I let the fore-sail
drop, and sheeted home and hoisted the main-top-gallant-sail; not that I
felt at all afraid of the boat, but because it was my wish to avoid
bloodshed, if possible. Among the other absurdities the French had
committed, in their haste to get away from the frigate, was that of
leaving six or eight muskets, with several cartridge-boxes, behind them.
With these weapons, it would have been easy for us to have given the
privateersmen such a hint, as would