Part 40 (1/2)
”Then light it, sir, and only blow at it so as to hted lanthorn under the bulwarks, and shove the end in now and then It'll make it all look so quiet and safe aboard that they'll walk right into the trap”
Mark did as he was requested, but with a good deal of disco desire to cough and sneeze fro to use his glass, and lass, and wearing a Panan of a black on board Soed about the deck, and save that it was such a sed craft, there was not a trace of her being anything but an ordinary trader
Matters went exactly as Mark desired, the stranger schooner gliding nearer and nearer, while the li fro into the water fro it was kept out of sight, and when the right moment came a turn or two of the wheel sent the schooner a little way ahead, and then another turn, and she swept round a little, her sails shi+vered, and she lost hile the stranger hailed them as she came closer, and was thrown up head to wind
By this time the two schooners were not above fifty yards apart, and a hail came in decidedly American tones,--
”I'll send a boat aboard”
There was a littlefor his tihly playing into his hands
The American's boat was lowered down on the side farthest fro aft with four men to row; and as her head appeared round the stern, Mark dropped over into his own boat The falls were cast off as she dropped into the water, and bidding the ive way, she shot off round the schooner's bows, the Panaave place to the naval cap, the jacket was hurried on, and away they went for the stranger, whose crew on board stared in astonishment over the bulwarks at theofficer
He was going to seize the stranger vessel, but he had left his own al rowed to her
”I' and the shadow, after all, Tom,” he whispered, excitedly
”What do you mean, sir?”
”Suppose the Yankee seizes our prize while we try to take his schooner”
”Murder!” exclaiht of that”
CHAPTER TWENTY SIX
TRADING WITH THE AMERICAN
For a few brief moments Mark was ready to turn back andhier, and in less time than it takes to describe it, he found out that he had alarbear
For the Yankee skipper, apparently taken quite aback at the sight of the ar his men to stop, and then turned and had himself rowed back as swiftly as possible, with the result that the boats reached the two sides of the second schooner nearly together
And as Mark scra looks of three men at the side, who, however, fell back before Tom Fillot and those who followed, the Yankee master stepped over the bulwarks too, and advanced to meet Mark
”How are yew?” he said, coolly ”Didn't knoas coood whites flour? I' rayther short”
”Perhaps I can,” said Mark, sharply, as he cast an eye over the deck
”What shi+p's this?”
”Ef yew'd looked at her starnboard yew'd hev seen, ood_, o' Charleston, South Carlinar, trading in notions
What's yourn?”