Mulford’s boat seemed to fly, and glided ahead at least three feet to that of Spike’s two.  The direction of the channel it was in, brought it pretty close to the wind, but the water was quite smooth, and our mate managed to keep the sail full, and his little craft at the same time quite near the weatherly side of the rocks.  In the course of ten minutes the fugitives were fully a mile from the brig, which was unable to follow them, but kept standing off and on, in the main passage, waiting the result.  At one time Mulford thought the channel would bring him out into open water again, on the northern side of the reef, and more than a mile to the eastward of the point where the ship-channel in which the Swash was plying commenced; but an accidental circumstance prevented his standing in far enough to ascertain the fact.  That circumstance was as follows: 

In running a mile and a half over the reef, in the manner described, Mulford had left the boat of Spike quite half a mile astern.  He was now out of gun-shot from the brig, or at least beyond the range of her grape, the only missile he feared, and so far to windward that he kept his eye on every opening to the southward, which he fancied might allow of his making a stretch deeper into the mazes of the reef, among which he believed it easiest for him to escape, and to weary the oarsmen of his pursuers.  Two or three of these openings offered as he glided along, but it struck him that they all looked so high that the boat would not lay through them—­an opinion in which he was right.  At length he came abreast of one that seemed straight and clear of obstacles as far as he could see, and through which he might run with a flowing sheet.  Down went his helm, and about went his boat, running away to the southward as fast as ever.

Had Spike followed, doubled the same shoal, and kept away again in the same channel as had been done by the boat he chased, all his hopes of success must have vanished at once.  This he did not attempt, therefore; but, sheering into one of the openings which the mate had rejected, he cut off quite half a mile in his distance.  This was easy enough for him to accomplish, as a row-boat would pull even easier, near to the wind, than with the wind broad on its bow.  In consequence of this short cut, therefore, Spike was actually crossing out into Mulford’s new channel, just as the latter had handsomely cleared the mouth of the opening through which he effected his purpose.

It is scarcely necessary to say that the two boats must have been for a few minutes quite near to each other; so near, indeed, did the fugitives now pass to their pursuers, that it would have been easy for them to have conversed, had they been so disposed.  Not a word was spoken, however, but Mulford went by, leaving Spike about a hundred yards astern.  This was a trying moment to the latter, and the devil tempted him to seek his revenge.  He had not come unarmed on his enterprise, but three or four loaded muskets