Before he had gone many miles he became aware of a swift schooner sailing across his track; and though, of course, he could not recognise her, he had a strong suspicion that it was the one that had nearly run them down.
Chapter Forty Four.
A Good Fight for it.
Before long he found that it evidently meant to intercept him, and he had the deck cleared for action and the men at quarters.
“They want the despatches they tricked me into carrying,” cried Hilary; “but they go overboard if I am beaten.”
To secure this he placed them in the despatch-box, in company with a couple of heavy shot, and placed all ready to heave overboard should matters go wrong.
He knew what was his duty in such a case, though; and that was to run for Portsmouth with the papers, fighting only on the defensive; and this, to the great disappointment of his men, he kept to.
The schooner commenced the aggressive by sending a shot in front of the cutter’s bows, as an order to heave-to, but the cutter kept on, and the next shot went through her mainsail.