“She’s going to run on shore,” exclaimed Jack, who had been watching her as eagerly as any one, when his duty would allow him to take a look-out.
“More likely she knows of a harbour or battery in there, and is running in for shelter,” answered Bill.
“We shan’t be able to take her then,” said Jack. “I was making sure we should have her as our prize.”
“I won’t say we shan’t take her, notwithstanding,” observed Bill. “Perhaps we shall fight the battery and her too, if she brings up under one. Or if she runs into a harbour, the boats may be sent in after her to bring her out.”
As soon as the stranger was seen standing to the southward, the Thisbe also hauled up to continue the pursuit, but the chase was still beyond the reach of her guns.
“We shan’t catch her after all,” said Jack, who had taken another look at the stranger some time after she had altered her course.
“I don’t see that we have not still a chance of coming up with her,” answered Bill. “The captain thinks so, or he would not be keeping after her. Perhaps she may be becalmed closer in with the land, or we may draw near enough to knock away her masts. We have gained a mile on her during the last hour. I would always try to succeed while a single chance remains, and I would never knock under to an enemy while I had a stick standing, or a plank beneath my feet.”
Still, notwithstanding Bill’s sanguine hopes of success, as the day wore on there seemed every probability that the French ship would make good her escape. It was now seen that she was steering for a harbour, the mouth of which could be distinguished from the deck of the Thisbe, with a battery on one side.
“Our bow chasers will reach her, Mr Saltwell,” cried the captain, at length.
The order to fire was eagerly obeyed. The frigate, however, had to yaw for the purpose. One of the shot was seen to go right through the sails of the chase, but the other fell on one side.