A Middy in Command | Page 8

that is not too tender of conscience to indulge in a little
piracy at times, when the opportunity appears favourable, as it does at
present. I have heard that, in contradiction of the adage that `there is
honour among thieves', there are occasionally to be found among the
slavers a few that are not above attacking other slavers and stealing
their slaves from them. It saves them the bother of a run in on the coast,
with its attendant risk of losses by fever, and the delay, perhaps, of
having to wait until a cargo comes down. Ah, I expected as much!" as
another shot from the stranger pitched close to our taffrail and sent a
cloud of spray flying over us. "So much for his respect for our
bunting."
"If the schooner were but armed I would make him respect it," I
exclaimed, greatly exasperated at being obliged to submit tamely to
being fired at without the power to retaliate. "But," I continued, "since

we cannot fight we will run. The wind is light, and that brig must be a
smart craft indeed if, in such weather as this, we cannot run away from
her."
The next quarter of an hour afforded us plenty of excitement, for while
we were doing our best to claw out to windward of the brig she kept her
jib-boom pointed straight at us, and thus, having a slight advantage of
the wind, contrived to lessen the distance between us sufficiently to get
us fairly within range, when she opened a brisk fire upon us from the
18-pounder on her forecastle. But, although the aim was fairly good, no
very serious damage was done. A rope was cut here and there, but was
immediately spliced by us; and when we had so far weathered upon our
antagonist as to have brought her fairly into our wake, the advantage
which we possessed in light winds over the heavier craft began to tell,
and we soon drew away out of gunshot.
So far, so good; but I had been hoping that as soon as our superiority in
speed became manifest the brig would bear up and resume her voyage
to her destination--wherever that might be. But no; whether it was that
he was piqued at being beaten, or whether it was a strong vein of
pertinacity in his character that dominated him, I know not, but the
skipper of the strange brig hung tenaciously in our wake,
notwithstanding the fact that we were now steadily drawing away from
him. Perhaps he was reckoning on the possibility that the breeze might
freshen sufficiently to transfer the advantage from us to himself, and
believing that this might be the case, I gave instructions to take in all
our studding-sails, and to brace the schooner up sharp, hoping thus to
shake him off. But even this did not discourage him; for he promptly
imitated our manoeuvre, although we now increased our distance from
him still more rapidly than before.
Meanwhile the wind was steadily growing more scant, and when I went
on deck after breakfast I found that we were practically becalmed,
although the small breathing, which was all that remained of the breeze,
sufficed to keep the little hooker under command, and give her steerage
way. The brig, however, I was glad to see, was boxing the compass
some three miles astern of us, and about a point on our lee quarter.

It was now roasting hot, the sky was without a single shred of cloud to
break its crystalline purity, and the sun poured down his beams upon us
so ardently that the black-painted rail had become heated to a degree
almost sufficient to blister the hand when inadvertently laid upon it,
while the pitch was boiling and bubbling out of the deck seams. The
surface of the sea was like a sheet of melted glass, save where, here and
there, a transient cat's-paw flecked it for a moment with small patches
of delicate blue, that came and went as one looked at them. Even the
flying-fish seemed to consider the weather too hot for indulgence in
their usual gambols, for none of them were visible. I was therefore
much surprised, upon taking a look at the brig through my glass, to see
that she had lowered and was manning a couple of boats.
"Why, Pringle," said I to the gunner, whose watch it was, "what does
that mean? Surely they are not going to endeavour to tow the brig
within gunshot of us, are they? They could never do it; for, although
there is scarcely a breath of wind stirring, this little beauty is still
moving through the water; and so long as she has steerage way on her
we ought to be able--"
"No, sir, no; no