Could you reach him with the long eighteen, Mr.
Smeaton ?" "Another cable length will do it, sir." The brig yawed as they spoke, and as she came round a spurt of smoke whiffed out from her quarter.

It was a pure piece of bravado, for the gun could scarce carry halfway.

Then with a jaunty swing the little ship came into the wind again, and shot round a fresh curve in the winding channel.
"The water's shoaling rapidly, sir," repeated the second lieutenant.
"There's six fathoms by the chart." "Four by the lead, sir." "When we clear this point we shall see how we lie.

Ha! I thought as much! Lay her to, Mr.Wharton.

Now we have got her at our mercy!" The frigate was quite out of sight of the sea now at the head of this river-like estuary.