"Well, he can do nothing in a light wind like this; and before the wind we can show him our heels: but are you sure the other is a yacht?" said Pickersgill, coming on deck. "Yes; the king is more careful of his canvas." "You're right," said Pickersgill, "that is a yacht; and you're right there again in your guess--that is the stupid old _Active_ which creeps about creeping for tubs. Well, I see nothing to alarm us at present, provided it don't fall a dead calm, and then we must take to our boats as soon as he takes to his; we are four miles from him at least. Watch his motions, Corbett, and see if he lowers a boat. What does she go now? Four knots?--that will soon tire their men." The positions of the three cutters were as follows:-- The _Happy-go-lucky_ was about four miles off Portland Head, and well into West Bay. The revenue-cutter was close to the Head. The yacht was outside of the smuggler, about two miles to the westward, and about five or six miles from the revenue-cutter. "Two vessels in sight, sir," said Mr Smith, coming down into the cabin to Mr Appleboy. "Very well," replied the lieutenant, who was _lying_ down in his _standing_ bed-place. "The people say one is the _Happy-go-lucky_, sir," drawled Smith. "Heh? What! _Happy-go-lucky_? Yes, I recollect; I've boarded her twenty times--always empty. How's she standing?" "She stands to the westward now, sir; but she was hove to, they say, when they first saw her." "Then she has a cargo in her," and Mr Appleboy shaved himself, dressed, and went on deck. "Yes," said the lieutenant, rubbing his eyes again and again, and then looking through the glass, "it is her, sure enough. Let draw the foresheet-hands make sail. What vessel's the other?" "Don't know, sir,--she's a cutter." "A cutter? Yes, may be a yacht, or may be the new cutter ordered on the station. Make all sail, Mr Tomkins: hoist our pendant, and fire a gun--they will understand what we mean then; they don't know the _Happy-go-lucky_ as well as we do." In a few minutes the _Active_ was under a press of sail; she hoisted her pendant, and fired a gun. The smuggler perceived that the _Active_ had recognised her, and she also threw out more canvas, and ran off more to the westward. "There's a gun, sir," reported one of the men to Mr Stewart, on board of the yacht. "Yes; give me the glass--a revenue-cutter; then this vessel in shore running towards us must be a smuggler." "She has just now made all sail, sir." "Yes, there's no doubt of it. I will go down to his lordship; keep her as she goes." Mr Stewart then went down to inform Lord B--- of the circumstance. Not only Lord B--- but most of the gentlemen came on deck; as did soon afterwards the ladies, who had received the intelligence from Lord B---, who spoke to them through the door of the cabin. But the smuggler had more wind than the revenue-cutter, and increased her distance.