s, the evening before the _Arrow_ sailed from Barn Pool. The
_Active_ sailed from Portsmouth the morning after.

The yacht, as we before observed, was bound to Cowes, in the Isle of
Wight. The _Active_ had orders to cruise wherever she pleased within the
limits of the admiral's station; and she ran for West Bay, on the other
side of the Bill of Portland. The _Happy-go-lucky_ was also bound for
that bay to land her cargo.

The wind was light, and there was every appearance of fine weather, when
the _Happy-go-lucky_, at ten o'clock on the Tuesday night, made the
Portland lights; as it was impossible to run her cargo that night, she
hove to.

At eleven o'clock, the Portland lights were made by the revenue cutter
_Active_. Mr Appleboy went up to have a look at them, ordered the cutter
to be hove to, and then went down to finish his allowance of gin-toddy.
At twelve o'clock, the yacht _Arrow_ made the Portland lights, and
continued her course, hardly stemming the ebb tide.

Day broke, and the horizon was clear. The first on the look-out were, of
course, the smugglers; they, and those on board the revenue cutter, were
the only two interested parties--the yacht was neuter.

"There are two cutters in sight, sir," said Corbett, who had the watch;
for Pickersgill, having been up the whole night, had thrown himself down
on the bed with his clothes on.

"What do they look like?" said Pickersgill, who was up in a moment.

"One is a yacht, and the other may be; but I rather think, as far as I
can judge in the gray, that it is our old friend off here."

"What! old Appleboy?"

"Yes, it looks like him; but the day has scarcely broke yet."

"Well, he can do nothing in a light wind like this; and before the wind
we can show him our heels; but are you sure the other is a yacht?" said
Pickersgill, coming on deck.

"Yes; the king is more careful of his canvas."

"You're right," said Pickersgill, "that is a yacht; and you're right
there again in your guess--that is the stupid old _Active_, which creeps
about creeping for tubs. Well, I see nothing to alarm us at present,
provided it don't fall a dead calm, and then we must take to our boat as
soon as he takes to his; we are four miles from him at least. Watch his
motions, Corbett, and see if he lowers a boat. What does she go now?
Four knots?--that will soon tire their men."

The positions of the three cutters were as follows:--

The _Happy-go-lucky_ was about four miles off Po