“Can you tell me anything of the two ships to the southward of us?” demanded the stranger, through his trumpet, without any preamble.

“Nothing but what you see, sir.  I suppose them to be French; and see that they are coming after you,”

“After us!” exclaimed the English captain, in a voice loud enough, and now near enough, to be heard without the aid of the trumpet. “After us, indeed!  Ready about—­helms a-lee—­main-top-sail haul, there!  Hawl, of all—­”

These orders came out at brief intervals, and in a voice of thunder—­producing prompt obedience.  The consequence was, that this ship tacked directly on our weather-beam, and so near us that one might have thrown a biscuit aboard her.  But she went round beautifully, scarce losing her way at all; and away she started again, looking her enemies directly in the face.

“Now’s our time to fill, Miles, and draw ahead.  The Speedy will think we’ve been spoken, and all’s right.  She must come here to tack into her consort’s wake, and a blind man could not avoid reading our name—­she would be so close.  Man the lee-braces, and right the helm, Neb.”

Fill we did; and what is more, we put our helm up so much, as to leave quite a cable’s-length between us and the Speedy, when that ship got far enough ahead to tack, or at the point which we had just left.  I believe we were recognised!  Indeed, it is not easy to imagine otherwise; as the commonest glass would enable the dullest eyes to read our name, were other means of recognition wanting.  But a sailor knows a ship by too many signs to be easily deceived.

The Speedy was in stays when we saw the proofs of our being known.  Her head-yards were not swung, but there she lay, like one who lingers, uncertain whether to go or to remain.  An officer was in her gangway, examining us with a glass; and when the ship fell off so much as to bring us out of the range of sight, he ran off and reappeared on the taffrail.  This was the junior lieutenant; I could plainly recognise him with my own glass.  Others soon joined him, and among them was Lord Harry Dermond, himself.  I fancied they even knew me, and that all their glasses were levelled directly at my face.  What a moment of intense uncertainty was that!  The ships were not a quarter of a mile apart, though the Dawn was increasing that distance fast, and by paying broad off, the Speedy would have me under her broadside.  Where was her prize crew I Not in the Dawn, or certainly Sennit would have communicated with his commander; and, if not in the ship, they must be in the ocean!  Or, were they prisoners below and kept purposely out of sight?  All these thoughts must have passed through the minds of the English officers.