When he judged that they were within a couple of miles of the barque, the same signal was hoisted that the latter was to have shown, and a minute later two lights appeared straight ahead of them, and they presently heard the clank of the windlass.
"Nothing happened, Mr. Harding?"
"No, sir, all has been quiet. The prisoners have tried the door once or twice, and I had to threaten to fire through it; since then they have been quiet. We made you out just before you showed your lights, and it was a relief when you did so; for although you were coming from the right direction it might have been an enemy, and I had just told the men to stand to quarters."
"Quite right; and now is your anchor up?"
"Yes, it is at the cat-head, sir."
"Well, get sail on her as quickly as you can, and then steer east by south. I will keep near you. You may as well show a light at your stern."
Ten minutes later the vessels were both on the course given, and the schooner under reduced sail following the prize. By twelve o'clock the next day they were off Toulon, with the Isles of Hyères ahead of them. When off the most southern of these they lay to. The wind was now very light, and they had during the last half-hour made but little way through the water.
"They are signalling on that island," Harding said.
"Yes, I see they are, Harding. If I had known that the wind was going to drop so light I would have kept farther off. The worst of it is, that what tide there is, has just turned against us, and the wind is dropping every minute. In half-an-hour it will be a stark calm, and I should not be surprised if they send gunboats out from Toulon when they hear that a schooner and a barque, the latter probably a prize, are lying here becalmed. If so, we shall have to fight for it. Johnson, take my glass, and go up to the mast-head and see if you can make out the Tartar."
"I can see the top-sails of a square-rigged craft some twenty miles away, sir; I have no doubt that it is the Tartar."