Part 30 (2/2)

'Yes,' said the lieutenant, rubbing his eyes again and again, and then looking through the gla.s.s, 'it is her, sure enough. Let draw the foresheet--hands make sail. What vessel's the other?'

'Don't know, sir--she's a cutter.'

'A cutter? yes; maybe a yacht, or maybe the new cutter ordered on the station. Make all sail, Mr. Tomkins; hoist our pendant, and fire a gun--they will understand what we mean then; they don't know the _Happy-go-lucky_ as well as we do.'

In a few minutes the _Active_ was under a press of sail; she hoisted her pendant, and fired a gun. The smuggler perceived that the _Active_ had recognised her, and she also threw out more canvas, and ran off more to the westward.

'There's a gun, sir,' reported one of the men to Mr. Stewart, on board of the yacht.

'Yes; give me the gla.s.s--a revenue cutter; then this vessel insh.o.r.e running towards us must be a smuggler.'

'She has just now made all sail, sir.'

'Yes, there's no doubt of it. I will go down to his lords.h.i.+p, keep her as she goes.'

Mr. Stewart then went down to inform Lord B. of the circ.u.mstance. Not only Lord B. but most of the gentlemen came on deck; as did soon afterwards the ladies, who had received the intelligence from Lord B., who spoke to them through the door of the cabin.

But the smuggler had more wind than the revenue cutter, and increased her distance.

'If we were to wear round, my lord,' observed Mr. Stewart, 'she is just abreast of us and insh.o.r.e, we could prevent her escape.'

'Round with her, Mr. Stewart,' said Lord B.; 'we must do our duty and protect the laws.'

'That will not be fair, papa,' said Cecilia Ossulton; 'we have no quarrel with the smugglers: I'm sure the ladies have not, for they bring us beautiful things.'

'Miss Ossulton,' observed her aunt, 'it is not proper for you to offer an opinion.'

The yacht wore round, and, sailing so fast, the smuggler had little chance of escaping her; but to chase is one thing--to capture another.

'Let us give her a gun,' said Lord B., 'that will frighten her; and he dare not cross our hawse.'

The gun was loaded, and not being more than a mile from the smuggler, actually threw the ball almost a quarter of the way.

[Ill.u.s.tration: _The gun was loaded, and not being more than a mile from the smuggler, actually threw the ball almost a quarter of the way._]

The gentlemen, as well as Lord B., were equally excited by the ardour of pursuit; but the wind died away, and at last it was nearly calm. The revenue cutter's boats were out, and coming up fast.

'Let us get our boat out, Stewart,' said his lords.h.i.+p, 'and help them; it is quite calm now.'

The boat was soon out: it was a very large one, usually stowed on, and occupied a large portion of, the deck. It pulled six oars; and when it was manned, Mr. Stewart jumped in, and Lord B. followed him.

'But you have no arms,' said Mr. Hautaine.

'The smugglers never resist now,' observed Stewart.

'Then you are going on a very gallant expedition indeed,' observed Cecilia Ossulton; 'I wish you joy.'

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