"A brig or brigantine; a two-masted vessel of some sort," answered Murray. "She is standing this way. I do not altogether like her looks. She has a widespread of white canvas, and so, if she is not a man-of-war, she is a slaver, of that I have little doubt." The crew heard what was said. Murray remained some time longer aloft. When he came down he looked grave and determined. "My lads," he exclaimed, after exchanging a few words with Adair, "I have very little doubt that the craft in sight is a slaver or pirate, and that at all events she will treat us with scant ceremony. We must beat her off. I know that you all will do your best to do so." "That we will, sir, never fear," answered Needham, in the name of the rest. "I know that, my men; there's no time to be lost in getting ready though," said Murray. "Hand up the arms, and we'll try to give the fellows, whoever they may be, a warm reception if they attempt to molest us." All hands were instantly employed in getting ready for the enemy. The gun was loaded, and several shot placed in a rack near it; the muskets and pistols were also loaded, and cutlasses were buckled on. They had no boarding-nettings, and their only hope of victory was by showing so bold a front at first, that the enemy might be driven off without coming to close quarters. As the stranger drew near she was seen to be a most wicked, rakish-looking brigantine, and neither Murray nor Adair had any longer the slightest doubt in their minds that she was a slaver. They hoisted the English ensign, but she showed no colours in return. "We shall have to fight for it," observed Murray to Adair; "but though the odds are fearfully against us, I have a strange feeling of satisfaction in contemplating such a contest. I cannot help trusting that we shall come off victorious, in spite of the apparent strength of our enemy." "I am sure I hope so," said Adair, who did not quite understand the thoughts which were pressing through his messmate's head. "We will fight away as long as we have hands to fight with and an ounce of gunpowder for our muskets. It was a craft like that brigantine out there captured poor Hanbury, and murdered him and his boat's crew. I only wish that we had a few more guns and men, and if that is the very pirate, we might avenge his death." "No, no, do not talk of vengeance, Adair," said Murray gravely; "vengeance does not belong to man. It would be our duty, if we had the power, to take the miscreants and to bring them to justice; as it is, I trust that, though with infinitely inferior force, we may beat them off. But we must not, as Christians, allow ourselves for a moment to indulge in the idea that we are avenging the death or the wrongs of even the dearest of our relations or friends." "I had not seen the matter in that light," answered Adair. "Then, my dear fellow, try and do so. It is the true light depend on that."