The wind fell a little towards morning, and, what added to my annoyance, a mist spread over the water, so that it was impossible to see far in any direction. So I had to feel my way along; and as soon as we reached soundings I kept the lead going constantly. For the last two hours before daylight I felt entirely certain of my position. We were running along near the Jersey coast in the direction of Sandy Hook, and if no accident happened we would get inside before the enemy could discover us. The first streaks of dawn were just visible in the east when the soundings showed that we were shoaling rapidly, and it was necessary to haul over to the north-west. While we were doing so the mist on our starboard began to lift a little and show what was behind it. And the first object that it revealed was not by any means a welcome sight. Five or six hundred yards away, our pursuer of the previous day was lying with her broadside towards us, and her guns out; we were just about abeam of her when we made the discovery, and at once I gave orders to hold more to the westward again. It is better, I thought, to risk taking the ground than the shot of the fellow that is ready to pour it into us. We may get ashore and get off again; but it will be all up with us if he once has us within short range of his guns. Being smaller than the other vessel, and also probably from not being between him and the sun, it was some minutes after we saw him before he saw us. He sent a shot across our bow, and another and another directly at us, but fortunately we were not struck. In all he must have fired fifteen or twenty shots, not one of them reaching us. All the time we were forging ahead where he did not try to follow, partly because he was so near the land as to be almost within range of the defenses that had been hastily thrown up at the entrance of the harbor, and partly because we would be far out of the way before he could get in motion. His only hope was to cripple us by a fortunate shot, and then he would send his boats to carry us by boarding. CHAPTER XVII. SAFE RETURN TO NEW YORK.--OFFER OF A NEW SHIP.--MY FRIENDS THE GRAHAMS.--OFF AGAIN.--THE CONSTITUTION'S ESCAPE AND MINE. Well, we are out of danger now, and safe inside the sheltering arms of the harbor. As we turn the Hook, a pilot boards us. He is an old acquaintance and friend, and gives me the warmest sort of a greeting. "What's the news?" I ask with eagerness, as soon as the greetings and congratulations are over. "Dead loads of news!" he answers. "Two prizes from you are safe in port, but the owners didn't look for you and the Marguerite as soon as this. You've got another prize or two, I suppose, and find yourself short-handed." "That's it exactly," I replied; and then I told him about the cartel and the last prize, and how I sent her to the Sound to avoid the risk of falling into British hands again. "By the way, what is that British ship which gave me such a run last night?" I asked.