They are busy cutting away their topmast, but we shall be off again before they are ready to move.

They have lost nearly half a mile; we shall soon be out of range.

Be sharp with that gun again!" The sloop had indeed fallen greatly astern while delivering her broadsides; but her commander had evidently seen that, unless the wind sprang up, the lugger would get away from him unless he could cripple her; and that she might seriously damage him, and perhaps knock one of the masts out of him by her stern chaser.

His only chance, therefore, of capturing her was to take a spar out of her.
He did not attempt to come about again, after firing the second broadside; but kept up his fire as fast as his guns could be loaded.
The lugger, however, was stealing rapidly away from him and, in ten minutes, had increased her lead by another half mile, without having suffered any serious damage; and the sloop soon ceased fire, as she was now almost out of range.

Seven or eight of the crew had been more or less injured by splinters but, with the exception of the three killed, none were badly hurt.