After a pause, during which he carefully scrutinised the vessel, "She has every appearance of being a frigate," the Admiral answered. Of what nation, if an armed ship? A wide berth was to be given to the Tricolour or the Spanish Flag. After much debate the order was given for sail to be reduced that the _Aurora's_ pace might not outmeasure that of the stranger, until break of day should yield a better idea of her character. Meanwhile she must be closely watched, and at the first shift of the stranger's helm the _Aurora_ must out with all wings and slide away from gun range with the despatch the wind could give her. The dark moonlit hours thus passed, and the _Aurora_ followed the stranger, but at a distance that was out of cannon reach. At daylight the vessel proved to be a frigate; she was painted black, with red gun-ports and red tompions. But this was no evidence of her nationality, for it was only comparatively recently that Nelson had caused ships under his command to carry white bands which the portholes for the guns chequered with black squares. And many ships of the State in 1805 were black in hull and some of them yellow. "We must take our chance," said Captain Acton to Weaver, "and end our doubts in the only possible way. See that our ensign blows clear for the eyes aboard of her." As the ship ahead was almost stern on, they ran the British ensign to the _Aurora's_ mizzen-mast head whence it streamed, a "meteor flag," in the silver-white glory of the sun. In a few moments the English colours were hoisted aboard the stranger, on which the Admiral delivered a British cheer, which was caught up and re-echoed by a few of the crew forward. Immediately every stitch of canvas that the schooner carried was set, and bending to the pressure of the fine breeze that was now flashing from right abeam, gracing the multitudinous run of the surge with the various splendours of the morning's light; the three-masted American-built clipper _Aurora_ thrashed through it in her pursuit of the black British frigate at a rate of sailing that within three hours brought her within speaking distance of the man-of-war. Before this happened, however, Captain Acton had called a council of his daughter and the Admiral, and a resolution had been arrived at of which the nature will appear in a few moments.