Part 2 (2/2)

”What!” cried the captain

”Sail ho!” shouted the man at the look-out, and in a moment all was excitement, for, about a h the white fog, was a two-masted vessel, croith sail; and as rapidly as possible the boats were hoisted up, and the _Nautilus_ was in pursuit

But hardly had she careened over under the press of sail than the fog shut the vessel froht, and for the next two hours she was invisible, while the captain of the _Nautilus_ had to lie to, for fear of some slippery trick on the part of as undoubtedly the slaver, since she was more likely to ht

But the as not favourable for this rew clear, and there was the slaver plainly visibleout west, while the _Nautilus_ crowded on every stitch of canvas in pursuit

A stern chase is a long one, says the proverb, and night came with the craft still miles away, but the sky was brilliantly clear, and thethe white-sailed schooner in a strangely weird fashi+on far across the flashi+ng sea

”We're gaining on her,” said Bob Howlett, as as full of excite sensation at the chest as he strained his eyes and watched the swift schooner, whose captain tried every ed pursuit of the Queen's cruiser

”Hang it all! he's a plucky one,” said Bob, as the chase went on ”He ht a shi+p was a she,” said Mark

”Well, I was talking about the skipper, wasn't I?”

”A man doesn't want to lose his shi+p, of course”

”Nor his cargo,” cried Bob ”There, give it up, old felloe're overhauling you fast”

It was a fact: the _Nautilus_, with all her studding sails set, was creeping nearer and nearer, till at last, amid no little exciteun was shotted, run out, and a turn or two given to the wheel Then, as the _Nautilus_ swerved a little fro across theup the water in a thousand scintillations, and taking its final plunge far ahead of the schooner

Every eye and every glass was fixed upon the slaver, for such she ithout a doubt, since she kept on, paying no heed to the shot and its summons to heave to; and after a second had been sent in chase, the captain gave the word, and a steady fire was kept up at the spars and rigging

”I can't fire at her hull, Staples,” the captain said

”No, it would be slaughtering the poor wretches down below; never mind, sir, we'll capture her directly She's ours, safe”

”Then the sooner the better,” said Bob to his co continued, and the crews of the two guns which sent their shot in chase vied with each other in their efforts to hit a spar and bring down the sails of the schooner; but they tried in vain Sails were pierced, but no other harallantly on

But all her efforts were in vain The _Nautilus_ crept on and on, nearer and nearer, till she was only about a quarter of a ained a little by her quick handling But the _Nautilus_ was after again, and after two or three of these manoeuvres Captain Maitland was able to anticipate her next attempt to escape, and all seemed over

”I wonder how many poor wretches she has on board?” tried Mark, excitedly, as the as passed for one of the boat's crews to be ready for boarding as soon as the slaver captain struck the flag he had run up in defiance

”Hundreds perhaps,” said Bob, coolly; ”but we haven't got her yet”

”No; but they're going to give in now I can see the captain quite plainly,” said Mark, as using a glass ”What are they doing? Oh, Bob, look!”

For through the glass he sahat seele on the moonlit deck, and directly after there was a splash

”Great heavens!” cried Captain Maitland ”Staples! Look! They're throwing the poor fellows overboard”