The breeze was fresh, and the stranger continued on her former course, either not having discovered the corvette or not being desirous of avoiding her. Beyond her was seen the coast of Cuba rising into mountainous elevations, the more distant scarcely to be distinguished from the blue sky. The corvette having been lately out of dock, and being in good trim, sailed her best. To deceive the enemy, the commander had had some canvas painted black and hung over her sides, triced up a couple of feet or so above the hammock nettings, to give her the appearance of a merchantman, but an observant eye might have detected her by the perfect trim of her sails. This, however, under the present circumstances, could not be avoided. The stranger, now clearly visible from the deck, was after a time seen to haul to the wind. She was apparently not much smaller than the _Champion_, and probably did not carry fewer guns; it was hoped, therefore, that she would before nightfall heave to and await a contest. "She is a fast ship whatever she is," observed Mr Tarwig; "but as to her wish to fight us, or whether she is French or Spanish, I have great doubts." "She has hoisted Spanish colours, at all events," said Mr Foley, who had been looking at her through the telescope, "but she does not shorten sail." "She is probably making for Cumberland harbour," said the master, who had been looking at the chart, "and if she gets in there it may be a hard matter to persuade her to come out again, unless we send in the boats and cut her out." For a considerable time neither of the ships altered their course. The stranger, however, going free, was making faster way through the water than the _Champion_, which was close-hauled, and it seemed very likely, should the wind shift more to the eastward, that the former vessel would pass her. The sun was already approaching the horizon, and although the crescent moon could be seen faintly in the sky, it would not long afford its light. The stranger, if inclined to escape, might do so during the hours of darkness. The two ships, however, were now scarcely three miles apart, and rapidly approaching each other. The _Champion_ was prepared for action, the crew were at their quarters, and the guns run out. The sea was sufficiently smooth to allow even the lee guns to be fought without difficulty. Mr Billhook had taken the telescope and was narrowly examining the stranger. "Shiver my timbers, but I believe she is the same buccaneering craft we found alongside the _Ouzel Galley_, when we chased her till she had well-nigh run on those rascally Bahama reefs," he exclaimed, still keeping his eye at the glass. "Yes, there is a square patch on her mizen-topsail to repair a hole which I doubt not an enemy's shot had made, as she was showing her heels in the fashion the picaroons always do, unless they hope to make a prize of some unwary merchantman." The commander, on hearing this, took the telescope.