y, her crew evidently fancying that they had
got a rich prize before them.

"Are those Spaniards or French, Paul?" inquired True Blue of his
godfather.

"Anything you please, probably," was the answer. "They have, I doubt
not, as many flags on board as there are months in the year. She looks
at this distance just like a craft of that sort--a regular hornet; I
hope we may stop her buzzing."

While Paul was speaking, the wind fell, and the schooner, now about six
miles off, was seen to get out her sweeps and pull away from the
corvette.

"We must get that fellow!" exclaimed the boatswain. "If the Captain
will let me, I'll volunteer to pull after him. True Blue, you'll come?"

"I should think so," answered True Blue, looking into Paul's face. "If
none of the quarterdeck officers have thought of going, he'll not
refuse."

"I'll go too!" cried Abel Bush. "The superior officers have had their
share lately, and the Captain will be glad to give us our turn."

Without further parley, the two warrant-officers went to the
quarterdeck, where the Captain was standing. The lieutenant and master
gave up their right, as did the master's mates; and, accordingly, the
pinnace and launch were ordered to be lowered and manned immediately,
ready for service.

Paul went in the pinnace with True Blue, while Abel Bush had charge of
the launch. Away the boats glided in gallant style through the smooth
water. The men had taken a hurried breakfast before leaving the ship,
for they saw that they had a long pull before them.

The crew of the schooner seemed determined to give them as long a pull
as possible, and with their sweeps kept well ahead, not going less than
three or four knots an hour. This, however, in no way daunted the
boatswain and his companions. "Hurrah, my lads, we'll soon be aboard!"
he shouted. Give way--give way! In two minutes we may open fire on
her. We've distanced the launch. The schooner must be ours before she
comes up.

Even while he was speaking, the shot from the chase came falling pretty
thickly around them. That only made them pull the faster. The schooner
appeared to be full of men, with several guns on each side, and boarding
nettings fixed up. Paul might have been excused if he had waited for
the coming up of the other boat, but that was not his way of doing
things--on he pulled.

The schooner swept round so as to present her broadside to the
approaching boats; but he, altering his co