Part 9 (1/2)

Then a great gun reverberated high over the howling wind, and gun after gun followed.

The good people of the town made quite sure that one of two things had happened: either a foreign enemy had landed, or the end of the world had come.

At the first gun Mattie, wideawake, jumped off the couch, and we at once explained to her the situation.

”Hullo!” she cried, ”how nice! Hullo! hullo! Let's play at being pirates.”

Her mirth and excitement were infectious.

In a minute or two we were armed and had rushed on deck, and the play was commenced.

The old _Thunderbolt_ now was making good way down the harbour, and how she missed fouling and sinking some of the craft is to me a mystery to this day. But some of them had a marvellously close shave.

The whole harbour was now alarmed, and the officers and crews swarmed on the decks of the vessels. But the stately hulk held on her way, heading--sometimes sterning--for more open water.

Meanwhile, Pirate Jill was cheering in the ratlines, and finally leaped down, and the battle began with swords, we, the combatants, shouting as wildly as we thought was desirable.

We were now bearing close down upon the flag-s.h.i.+p, and could distinguish the officers on the p.o.o.p.

”Hurrah!” cried Jill, ”let's now play at being pirates proper.”

”Hullo!” cried Mattie, ”we're all pirates.”

I ran speedily off for Tom's old battered speaking trumpet, and we were very close to the flag-s.h.i.+p when I hailed her, in true pirate fas.h.i.+on.

”Lie to there, till we send a boat on board, or we'll blow you out of the water.”

A chorus of laughter came from quarter-deck and waist.

”Fire!” I cried.

Bang, bang, went both pistols at once.

”Hullo!” cried Mattie; ”Hullo!”

And at the same moment, seeing she had the halyards in her hand, I looked aloft just in time to see a little black bundle expand into a huge flag, and lo! fluttering out in the morning air was the dark dread ensign of the pirate, with its hideous skull and cross-bones.

”Hullo!” cried Mattie once more.

But Jill and I stood aghast!

Then our dream rushed back to our minds.

We did not foul the flag-s.h.i.+p, and were soon rolling away out seawards.

But what had we done? It was dreadful to think of--hoisted the pirate flag and fired upon one of her Majesty's flags, right into the teeth of her officers and crew.

So paralysed were we that we entirely forgot to haul down the flag, and it was still flying when--an hour afterwards a couple of tugs managed to get us in tow, and we were once more heading back for the harbour.

The first words the officer of the tug said to me, when he had time to speak, were--