Part 19 (1/2)
”They haven't been long getting up a jury mast,” Captain Lockett said. ”That is the best of a lug rig. Still, they have a smart crew on board.”
He directed his gla.s.s towards the lugger, which was some five miles away.
”It is a good-sized spar,” he said, ”nearly as lofty as the foremast. She is carrying her mainsail with two reefs in it and, with the wind on her quarter, is travelling pretty nearly as fast as she did before. Still, she can't catch us, and she knows it.
”Do you see, Mr. Probert, she is bearing rather more to the north.
She reckons, I fancy, that after it gets dark we may try to throw the frigate out; and may make up that way, in which case she would have a good chance of cutting us off. That is awkward, for the frigate will know that; and will guess that, instead of wearing round that way, we shall be more likely to make the other.”
”That is so,” the mate agreed. ”Still, we shall have the choice of either hauling our wind and making south by west, or of running on, and she can't tell which we shall choose.”
”That is right enough. It is just a toss up. If we run, and she runs, she will overtake us; if we haul up close into the wind, and she does the same, she will overtake us, again; but if we do one thing, and she does the other, we are safe.
”Then again, we may give her more westing, after it gets dark, and bear the same course the lugger is taking. She certainly won't gain on us, and I fancy we shall gain a bit on her. Then in the morning, if the frigate is out of sight, we can make for Santander, which will be pretty nearly due south of us, then; or, if the lugger is left well astern we can make a leg north, and then get on our old course again, for Cape Ortegal. The lugger would see it was of no use chasing us, any further.”
”Yes, I think that is the best plan of the three, captain.
”I see the frigate is coming up. I can just make out the line of her hull. She must be a fast craft.”
The hours pa.s.sed on slowly. Fortunately the wind did not freshen, and the vessels maintained their respective positions towards each other. The frigate was coming up, but, when it began to get dusk, she was still some six miles astern. The lugger was five miles away, on the lee quarter, and three miles northeast of the frigate.
She was still pursuing a line that would take her four miles to the north of the brig's present position. The coast of Spain could be seen stretching along to the southward. Another hour and it was perfectly dark and, even with the night gla.s.ses, the frigate could no longer be made out.
”Starboard your helm,” the captain said, to the man at the wheel.
”Lay her head due east.”
”I fancy the wind is dying away, sir,” Mr. Probert said.
”So long as it don't come a stark calm, I don't care,” the captain replied. ”That would be the worst thing that could happen, for we should have the frigate's boats after us; but a light breeze would suit us, admirably.”
Two hours later, the wind had almost died out.
”We will take all the sails off her, Mr. Probert. If the frigate keeps on the course she was steering when we last saw her, she will go two miles to the south of us; and the lugger will go more than that to the north. If they hold on all night, they will be hull down before morning; and we shall be to windward of them and, with the wind light, the frigate would never catch us; and we know the lugger wouldn't, with her reduced sails.”
In a few minutes all the sails were lowered, and the brig lay motionless. For the next two hours the closest watch was kept, but nothing was seen of the pursuing vessels.
”I fancy the frigate must have altered her course more to the south,” the captain said, ”thinking that, as the lugger was up north, we should be likely to haul our wind in that direction. We will wait another hour, and then get up sail again, and lay her head for Cape Ortegal.”
When the morning broke, the brig was steering west. No sign of the lugger was visible but, from the tops, the upper sails of the frigate could be seen, close under the land, away to the southeast.
”Just as I thought,” the captain said, rubbing his hands in high glee. ”She hauled her wind, as soon as it was dark, and stood in for the coast, thinking we should do the same.
”We are well out of that sc.r.a.pe.”
Two days later the brig dropped her anchor in the Tagus, where three English s.h.i.+ps of war were lying. A part of the cargo had to be discharged, here; and the captain at once went ash.o.r.e, to get a spar to replace the topmast carried away in the gale.
”We may fall in with another Frenchman, before we are through the Straits,” he said, ”and I am not going to put to sea again like a lame duck.”
Bob went ash.o.r.e with the captain, and was greatly amused at the scenes in the streets of Lisbon.
”You had better keep with me, as I shall be going on board, in an hour. Tomorrow you can come ash.o.r.e and see the sights, and spend the day. I would let Joe come with you, but he will be too busy to be spared, so you will have to s.h.i.+ft for yourself.”