Part 16 (1/2)

When Zappa observed her bearing down on him, he was in hopes that his ruse had succeeded, and that his vessel was taken for what he wished her to appear; but when he saw, on his following her, that the English brig ale, and at last carried on in a way that seean to fear that he was suspected He, however, was deterlya favourable opportunity to execute his purpose at the terth it fell calm, and his vessel lay about four miles from her

We have seen that he was a ht him that he would try once more to blind thea boat to be manned, he pulled boldly on board her Had not Bowse been forewarned, there can be little doubt but that he would have triumphantly succeeded, and there can be no reflection on his want of talent either in planning or executing that he did not do so Had he known asto do with the speronara, which was suspected, but would at once have run alongside the _Zodiac_ in his own vessel which was unknown

When he found hiht in his own net, he pulled back to the _Sea Hawk_, vowing that he would not again be foiled

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Theat the i trilanced at the pretended Austrian with feelings in which the undaunted courage of the British seas as to the result of an engagement with an enemy in every respect so e round the horizon in anticipation of those rising signs of the co delayed till the as coht coage, and enable hiht; for he had already seenqualities of the _Sea Hawk_; that he had no expectations of being able to avoid it, even should he be able to make sail before the arrival of the breeze With voice and example, he cheered on his crew to the work; the top fitted over its head; but the topsail-yard was not yet across, and much remained to be done to make their previous labours of any avail Bowse himself had taken his meals on deck, as had his mates; and the er He had just before sent the a look at the enemy, to see what she was about, he observed beyond her a dark blue line on the horizon

”Ah,” hebefore the canvas is spread, we shall have the breeze blowing strong, and the brig co down on us Well, we've done our best, and men can do no more I'll let the poor fellows have this meal in quiet; it will be the last many of them will eat, I fear Ah! Heaven only knows if any on board here will ever taste another, if those cursed villains get hold of us--and nothing but a miracle can save us, that I see--yet, we'll make them pay dear for victory, at all events”

He took two or three turns on the deck, watching his antagonist, and the co wind; and from his cool and calm exterior, no one would have supposed how fully he felt the dangerous position in which his shi+p was placed Broader and broader grew the line, till, at last, the wind filled the loftier canvas of the corsair, which was spread to catch it

The tile He summoned the mate from below

”Turn the hands up,” he cried out, in a firhout the shi+p ”We shall have work before long to war on deck with alacrity, casting an eye at the stranger as they went to the work in hand

The topsail-yard was ready fitted, and all hands now joined in swaying away on it Meantiht, had filled the pirate's sails, and she was stealing through the water towards them, before they even felt the wind At last a few catspaws, the _avant-couriers_ of the stronger breeze, began to play round them The foresail and the fore-staysail were the only sails they could yet get to pay the brig's head off before the wind These were now set; but the so doing delayed the work of bending the topsail, and the _Sea Haas now coot dead before the wind, the allant-sails were hoisted; the studdensail-booms were run out, and studdensails set, whichas they desired only to keep before the wind Notwithstanding, however, all the canvas the _Zodiac_ could set, the corsair still came up with her hand over hand

Boatched till he thought she had couns, and he then ordered one to be brought up, and pointed at her over the taffrail

As soon as Colonel Gauntlett, as on deck, heard the order given, he exclaiuns, while the crew continued bending the sails

The gun was accordingly trained aft, but part of the taffrail had to be cut away to work it

”Try to knock away some of his spars, sir,” cried Bowse, as the colonel prepared to fire ”Everything depends on that”

The colonel fired, but the shot fell short The gun was instantly again loaded, but before they had time to fire, the pirate yawed and let fly a bow chaser, the shot fro further daain the shot fell short, to his no slight rage

”I see how it is, sir,” observed Bowse, ”that fellow has a long nine in his bohile our gun is only a carronade He will be doing us et a little nearer though, and ill give him two to one,”

returned the colonel

Scarcely had he spoken, when another shot came, which cut away the topmast starboard shrouds Hands were iain delayed the progress of the work on the foreed to ained on the _Zodiac_ At last he got within range of her carronades, to the great satisfaction of Colonel Gauntlett, who forthwith coe and load it The shot, however, told with little or no effect; a few holes were h his head-sails, but no ropes of importance were cut away on board the _Sea Hawk_ The countenances of the pirates could now clearly be seen They had exchanged the Austrian uniforms for their proper Greek dresses, which added considerably to the ferocity of their appearance

Finding that the carronade frequently sent its shot on board, they hauled up a point, so as to bring their vessel on the starboard quarter of the _Zodiac_, and at the sauns, while they could still send the shot froroaned when he saw the manoeuvre, for he felt how completely he was at the , still continued working his gun, till with rage he saw that his shot again fell short of the ene chiefly after sail, could not venture to haul up so ain astern, or he would have tried to do so His gun orked quickly, and with great precision; shot after shot told with fearful effect on the spars and rigging The ly laboured the whole ti about them, but just as they had bent the fore-topsail, and were swaying away on the yard, a shot struck the fore-yard, and cut it completely in two

The o the halyards, rushed of their own accord to the guns

”It's no use running, sir,” they exclaiht it out while we can”

The pirate's shot continued their work of destruction The main topmast next received a wound, and in a , down it ca up the deck