laver, and nothing more could
therefore be done. Light as she was, and built entirely for running
before the wind, she was able to maintain her distance from the ship,
and for several hours the two did not alter their position. To the
captain of the ship this must have been a sad trial of patience. He
knew that if he could once come within gun-shot of the slaver, he could
capture or sink her in a few minutes; but there she was tantalisingly
just out of gun-shot, and maintaining this position, if not increasing
her distance. Steam-vessels in those days were not common off the coast
of Africa, and slavers or pirates had to be captured by sailing vessels
alone.

Hans feared that the second chance of release would be lost, and he
began to speculate upon what could be done to enable the vessel
following them to come alongside. He believed that it might be possible
to cut some of the many ropes which held the sails, and thus cause them
to fall, and by this means to bring the slaver under the guns of the
English ship; but the knife was wanting to accomplish this. Thus,
though Hans thought over every plan, he could see nothing quite
practical, or that could be effected without enormous risk.

As the day advanced it was evident that the slaver had the best of the
race, the light breeze favouring her, and by sunset the English
man-of-war brig--for such she was--had dropped back to nearly five
miles' distance.

When darkness had completely set in the captain of the slaver altered
his course, and ran in towards the shore. He had for two days sailed in
the opposite direction to that in which he wished to go, the English
brig having stood in his way. He now wished to let her pass, and thus
renew his original intention of running over to the coast of South
America, where his slaves would soon be disposed of. Having steered for
about an hour in the direction of the coast, the captain ordered the
vessel's head to be kept south-west; and thus he expected to run past
the English brig, and avoid her in the darkness. It seemed impossible
that any eyes could distinguish the vessel even at the distance of half
a mile, and the crew of the slaver were unable to see the brig shortly
after sunset. Whether it was, however, that they possessed admirable
glasses on board the brig, or some light was visible on board the
slaver, the change of course of the latter had been seen; and scarcely
had she altered her course, and had begun to be