h no
enemy would be apt to attempt. It is true, two heavy guns bore on this
entrance, but they were in a detached work, that was never manned except
in emergencies.

I drew a long breath, and felt a mountain removed from my very soul, as
the ship passed out of the range of the last gun in the little
semi-circle. The soldiers were making gestures to us to indicate we were
getting too far west for a good berth, but we heeded them not. Instead of
shortening sail, the fore and main tacks were boarded, and the
top-gallant-sails set. This revealed our intention, and the clamour on the
shore even reached the ship. Preparations were making to get a piece of
light artillery to bear on us, and some twenty gunners began to scamper
towards the detached battery. The whole thing was now reduced to a sheer
race. We passed the last battery ten minutes before the French could reach
it, the latter having to go round a considerable bay; and six minutes
later, we went out to sea, with the American ensign, and jacks, and
pennants flying at each mast-head, and wherever else such an emblem of
triumph could be shown!

Chapter XVII.

"O, I am out of breath in this fond chase!
The more my prayer, the lesser is my grace."

Shakspeare.

Marble and I looked each other in the face, and then burst into a laugh,
as the French fired a single shot from the two-gun battery, which flew
beyond us, but which could scarcely hit us on account of some intervening
rocks. I altered the course of the ship in order to get a little more out
of the range; after this, we had nothing to fear from the French. The boat
did not attempt to follow us, and thus ended our communication with _le
Polisson_ and her people, a that time. As for la Fortunee, it would
require at least four hours for her to beat round the end of the cluster
of islands, and seeing the hopelessness of doing this in time to overtake
such a ship as the Dawn, her commander made a dash in at the unfortunate
brig, which he actually succeeded in cutting out from the roadstead, in
spite of all the defences of the place. The last I _heard_ of these
gentlemen, was the reports of the guns that were exchanged between the
battery and the frigate, while the last I _saw_ of them, was the smoke
that floated over the spot, long after the islands had sunk beneath the
horizon. The Dawn stood directly out to sea, with the wind still at the
northward, though it had drawn more through the pass in-sho