Part 12 (1/2)
”Hit a spar,” continued Bob; ”and there is no mistake about the way that Yankee skipper can sail his craft, for he dodged and turned, and kept throwing us off in theto show us a clean pair of heels, and over and over again he distanced us But Maitland and old Staples grewall they knew to crowd on sail till once ot near, and then doent another of the poor blacks Old Staples regularly jued to drop the captain's gig this time to pick up the poor wretch--leastwise, try to, for they didn't get him, and as we couldn't spare any ain
”That gave old Stars and Stripes a chance to get ever so far-away, and I tell you it wasn't safe to go near the skipper Ah! we may well call him that He made some of 'em skip, I can tell you, that day
”'I'll sink her,' I heard hiuns to be depressed next tih for a shot”
”But he didn't do that,” said Mark excitedly
”Lie down, sir! Quiet, will you?” cried Bob fiercely ”How a me?”
”Go on, please,” said Mark
”Of course I didn't let hi round-shot into the ers? Wasn't to be thought about So we crowded on again till they dropped another black overboard, and we had to heave to and pick hiot four The other tere either hurt, I think, or so weak that they couldn't swiet to them”
”How horrible!”
”Yes; it'll be pretty horrible for Yankee Doodle if old Maitland ever gets his paw on hian Mark
”Will you lie down?” cried Bob
”Well, I a down,” replied Mark ”I don't feel as if I could sit up”
”No, nor you won't till Whitney and I have bricked and o on, and tellthe schooner”
”You won't let me with your interruptions,” cried Bob ”It's always the ith you fellohen you're getting better You are right down nasty”
”Go on, Bob”
”Well, on ent after ed, and then being dodged about in every direction as he went through all sorts of manoeuvres to escape Noere hove to, to pick up soot sick of it by daylight, and every one else too, and the e that they would have liked to pour in a broadside if it hadn't been for the poor fellows under hatches At last it was ood mile away, and then came the worst of it”
”The worst of it?”
”Ay, ay, sir! as we say at sea No sooner was the sun well up than the sails began to shi+ver
”'Wind's failing, sir,' says old Staples
”'Bah! nonsense!' says the skipper, and there ca us careen over 'There, Mr Staples,' says the skipper, 'what do you think of that?'
”'Last puff, sir, for the day,' says Staples
”'Nonsense we shall have her now,' says the skipper; and then he crossed just in front ofstamp, for the sails flopped down all at once, and there ere gliding slowly on for a bit, and then settling on an even keel, while aalong as easily as could be, and if the Yankee captain didn't have the cheek directly after to load a little swivel gun he had on board, and fire at us over the stern, as if he were laughing at us