Ten minutes showed they were gaining; twenty did better and in an hour she
was well on the quarter.
Another day of strife succeeded, or rather of pure sailing, for not a
rope was started on board the Montauk, the wind still standing fresh and
steady. The sloop made many signals, all indicating a desire to speak the
Montauk, but Captain Truck declared himself too experienced a navigator to
be caught by bunting, and in too great a hurry to stop and chat by
the way.
"Vattel had laid down no law for such a piece of complaisance, in a time
of profound peace. I am not to be caught by that category."
The result may be anticipated from what has been already related. The two
ships kept before the wind until the Foam was again far astern, and the
observations of Captain Truck told him, he was as far south as the Azores.
In one of these islands he was determined to take refuge, provided he was
not favoured by accident, for going farther south was out of the question,
unless absolutely driven to it. Calculating his distance, on the evening
of the sixth day out, he found that he might reach an anchorage at Pico,
before the sloop-of-war could close with him, even allowing the necessity
of hauling up again by the wind.
But Providence had ordered differently. Towards midnight, the breeze
almost failed and became baffling, and when the day dawned the officer of
the watch reported that it was ahead.
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