The _Avenger_ commenced firing an occasional gun from her broadside, the reports of which were hardly to be heard by those on board of the frigate; while the long gun of the _Enterprise_ reverberated along the water, and its loud resonance was swept by the wind to the frigate to leeward.

Such was the state of affairs when the sun sank down in the wave, and darkness obscured the vessels from each other's sight, except with the a.s.sistance of the night-telescopes.

'What do you propose to do, Captain Cain?' said Francisco.

'I have made up my mind to do a bold thing. I will run down to the frigate, as if for shelter; tell him that the other vessel is a pirate, and claim his protection. Leave me to escape afterwards; the moon will not rise till nearly one o'clock.'

'That will be a bold ruse indeed; but suppose you are once under her broadside, and she suspects you?'

'Then I will show her my heels. I should care nothing for her and her broadside if the schooner was not here.'

In an hour after dark the _Avenger_ was close to the frigate, having steered directly for her. She shortened sail gradually, as if she had few hands on board; and, keeping his men out of sight, Cain ran under the stern of the frigate.

'Schooner ahoy! What schooner is that?'

'_Eliza_ of Baltimore, from Carthagena,' replied Cain, rounding to under the lee of the man-of-war, and then continuing: 'That vessel in chase is a pirate. Shall I send a boat on board?'

'No; keep company with us.'

'Ay, ay, sir,' replied Cain.

'Hands about ship!' now resounded with the boatswain's whistle on board of the frigate, and in a minute they were on the other tack. The _Avenger_ also tacked and kept close under the frigate's counter.

In the meantime Edward Templemore and those on board of the _Enterprise_, who, by the course steered, had gradually neared them, perceiving the motions of the two other vessels, were quite puzzled. At one time they thought they had made a mistake, and that it was not the pirate vessel; at another they surmised that the crew had mutinied and surrendered to the frigate. Edward hauled his wind, and steered directly for them, to ascertain what the real facts were. The captain of the frigate, who had never lost sight of either vessel, was equally astonished at the boldness of the supposed pirate.

'Surely the rascal does not intend to board us?' said he to the first lieutenant.

'There is no saying, sir; you know what a character he has; and some say there are three hundred men on board, which is equal to our ship's company. Or perhaps, sir, he will pa.s.s to windward of us, and give us a broadside, and be off in the wind's eye again.'

'At all events we will have a broadside ready for him,' replied the captain. 'Clear away the starboard guns, and take out the tompions. Pipe starboard watch to quarters.'

The _Enterprise_ closed with the frigate to windward, intending to run round her stern and bring to on the same tack.

'He does not shorten sail yet, sir,' said the first lieutenant, as the schooner appeared skimming along about a cable's length on their weather bow.

'And she is full of men, sir,' said the master, looking at her through the night-gla.s.s.

'Fire a gun at her!' said the captain.

Bang! The smoke cleared away, and the schooner's foretopsail, which she was in the act of clewing up, lay over her side. The shot had struck the foremast of the _Enterprise_, and cut it in two below the catharpings.

The _Enterprise_ was, for the time, completely disabled.

'Schooner ahoy! What schooner is that?'

'His Majesty's schooner _Enterprise_.'

'Send a boat on board immediately.'

'Ay, ay, sir.'

'Turn the hands up! Shorten sail!'

The top-gallant and courses of the frigate were taken in, and the mainsail hove to the mast.

'Signalman, whereabouts is that other schooner now?'

'The schooner, sir? On the quarter,' replied the signalman, who, with everybody else on board, was so anxious about the _Enterprise_ that they had neglected to watch the motions of the supposed American. The man had replied at random, and he now jumped upon the signal-chests abaft to look for her. But she was not to be seen. Cain, who had watched all that pa.s.sed between the other two vessels, and had been prepared to slip off at a moment's warning, as soon as the gun was fired at the other schooner, had wore round and made all sail on a wind. The night-gla.s.s discovered her half a mile astern; and the ruse was immediately perceived. The frigate filled and made sail, leaving Edward to return on board--for there was no time to stop for the boat--tacked, and gave chase. But the _Avenger_ was soon in the wind's eye of her; and at daylight was no longer to be seen.

In the meantime, Edward Templemore had followed the frigate as soon as he could set sail on his vessel, indignant at his treatment, and vowing that he would demand a court-martial. About noon the frigate rejoined him, when matters were fully explained. Annoyed as they all felt at not having captured the pirate, it was unanimously agreed, that by his audacity and coolness he deserved to escape. It was found that the mast of the _Enterprise_ could be fished and scarfed, so as to enable her to continue her cruise. The carpenters of the frigate were sent on board; and in two days the injury was repaired, and Edward Templemore once more went in pursuit of the _Avenger_.

CHAPTER XV

THE MISTAKE

The _Avenger_ stood under a press of sail to the northward. She had left her pursuers far behind; and there was not a speck on the horizon, when, on the second morning, Francisco, who had resumed his berth in the captain's cabin, went up on deck. Notwithstanding the request of Cain, Francisco refused to take any part in the command of the schooner, considering himself as a pa.s.senger, or prisoner on parole. He had not been on deck but a few minutes, when he observed the two Spanish fishermen, belonging to the establishment of Don c.u.manos, conversing together forward. Their capture had quite escaped his memory, and he went forward to speak to them. Their surprise at seeing him was great, until Francisco informed them of what had pa.s.sed. They then recounted what had occurred to them, and showed their thumbs, which had been put into screws to torture from them the truth. Francisco shuddered, but consoled them by promising that they should soon be at liberty, and return to their former master.

As Francisco returned from forward, he found Hawkhurst on the deck.

Their eyes met and flashed in enmity. Hawkhurst was pale from loss of blood, and evidently suffering; but he had been informed of the apparent reconciliation between Francisco and the captain, and he could no longer remain in his bed. He knew, also, how the captain had avoided the combat with the _Enterprise_; and something told him that there was a revolution of feeling in more than one point. Suffering as he was, he resolved to be a spectator of what pa.s.sed, and to watch narrowly. For both Francisco and Cain he had imbibed a deadly hatred, and was watching for an opportunity to wreak his revenge. At present they were too powerful; but he felt that the time was coming when he might be triumphant.

Francisco pa.s.sed Hawkhurst without speaking.

'You are at liberty again, I see,' observed Hawkhurst, with a sneer.

'I am not, at all events, indebted to you for it,' replied Francisco haughtily; 'nor for my life either.'

'No, indeed; but I believe that I am indebted to you for this bullet in my shoulder,' replied the mate.

'You are,' replied Francisco coolly.

'And depend upon it, the debt shall be repaid with usury.'

'I have no doubt of it, if ever it is in your power; but I fear you not.'

As Francisco made this reply, the captain came up the ladder. Hawkhurst turned away and walked forward.

'There is mischief in that man, Francisco,' said the captain in an undertone; 'I hardly know whom to trust; but he must be watched. He is tampering with the men, and has been for some time; not that it is of much consequence, if he does but remain quiet for a little while. The command of this vessel he is welcome to very soon; but if he attempts too early----'

'I have those I can trust to,' replied Francisco. 'Let us go below.'

Francisco sent for Pompey the Krouman, and gave him his directions in the presence of the captain. That night, to the surprise of all, Hawkhurst kept his watch; and, notwithstanding the fatigue, appeared every day to be rapidly recovering from his wound.

Nothing occurred for several days, during which the _Avenger_ still continued her course. What the captain's intentions were did not transpire; they were known only to Francisco.

'We are very short of water, sir,' reported Hawkhurst one morning; 'shall we have enough to last us to where we are going?'