before carrying, and, putting down
his helm, stood off-shore on a bowline, with the intention of crossing
our bows. The reason of his doing this was, that to the northward a
long and dangerous reef ran off from the shore, so that he had no other
means of escape. We had him, indeed, partly embayed, and yet, if he was
able to carry on, it was clear that he might still manage to get out
ahead of us. The _Gadfly_ sailed well, and carried her canvas
admirably, but so did the stranger; and, by the way every sail on board
her was set, it was evident he was in earnest in doing his best to
weather on us.

"What do you think of that fellow now, sir?" I said, as the captain
came on deck. "There's no mistaking what she is."

"Why, Rawson, I think you are right this time, at all events," was the
answer. "Stand by the royals, though. We must not carry the masts over
the side; and she will go along as fast without them."

I saw it was time, indeed, to take in our lighter canvas, for, as we
were obliged to haul more up, the masts were bending like whips, and the
green seas came washing in bodily to leeward, while the spray flew in
sheets over our weather bulwarks. The day wore on, and evening was fast
approaching, with every prospect of a dirty night; the wind was
increasing, and dark masses of clouds came rolling up from the
south-west, and flying over in the opposite quarter, though as they came
on faster than they disappeared, the sky overhead soon got pretty full
of them. The stranger, meantime, was carrying on in gallant style--not
an inch of anything did he slack. He seemed to think that it was neck
or nothing with him. It must be understood that while his course was
about west, and that nothing off that could he venture to go, we were
able to keep rather more away. There was no chance, however, of our
getting him under our guns before dark, when he, of course, would do his
best to double on us. It was an exciting time, and even the most
apathetic on board would not go below. We were longing to get near
enough to give her a shot or two with any probability of hitting her.
All this time the sea was getting up, and as she was evidently a sharp,
shallow vessel, this much impeded her progress. Instead of, as when we
first saw her, gliding gently through the waves, or putting them
gracefully aside with her bows, she now rose and fell as they passed
under her, and hammered away at them as she strove to make her onward