Part 45 (1/2)

”Well, I hope you will not forget your promise, sir,” replied I; ”I shall depend upon you.”

During the fortnight that I had been out, I had taken great pains in exercising the men at their guns, the great gun particularly; and I had had an excellent sight put on it, which it had not, and very much required. During two or three days' calm, I had fired shot at a mark for three or four hours each day, and I found that the men, with this little practice, were very expert, and could hit a very small object, now that the sight was put on the gun. The two best shots, however, were the gunner and Bob Cross.

The night after we parted from the Naiad, I had run to the southward, having heard from the captain that the Driver was more to the northward than he was. There was nothing in sight on the next day, and when the evening set in, the wind being very light, and water smooth, I said to Cross, ”Suppose we furl sail at night--it is just as good as running about; we then shall see them if they come in our way, and they will not see us.”

”A very good idea, Mr Keene; we must keep a good look-out, that's all.”

I followed up my own suggestion; we furled the sails, and leaving two men with the officer of the watch to keep a sharp look-out, allowed the rest of the s.h.i.+p's company to remain in the hammocks during the whole of the night.

When day broke we had two look-out men at the mast-head, but remained with our sails furled as before, for the same reason, that we should discern a vessel by her sails long before she could discover us. The more I thought of it, the more convinced I was of the advantage to be gained by the following up of this plan. I was on the exact cruising ground I wished to be, and therefore could not do better while the weather remained so fine.

CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR.

Four nights and three days we remained in this way; during which my men had nothing to do but to exercise at the guns, and of that I took care they should have a good spell. On the fourth night the wind was a little fresher, but the water quite smooth. I had turned in about twelve o'clock, and had been asleep about an hour when Cross came and called me.

”Well, Cross,” said I, ”what is it?”

”Here they are, sir.”

”What?--the privateers?”

”Yes, sir; the brig and schooner both coming down right before the wind; they are on our weather quarter, and will pa.s.s us within two miles, if not nearer.”

I left my bed-place, and was dressed in a minute. I went on deck with my gla.s.s, and directed it to the vessels, which were quite plain to the naked eye.

”Put out the binnacle light, Cross,” said I; ”they might discover us.”

The brig, which was the headmost of the two vessels, was now nearly crossing our stern. The schooner was about a mile astern of her.

”Turn the hands up, Cross; see all ready for action and making sail.”

”Not yet, sir, surely!”

”No, not yet; we will let them run two or three miles dead to leeward, and then follow them till daylight, or till they see us, when, of course, they will be after us.”

”It's very fortunate, sir, that we did furl the sails; for had they come down, and we under sail, they would have seen us, and we should have been to leeward of them, which would have given us a poor chance against such odds; now we shall have the weather-gage, and may choose, if our heels are as good as theirs, which I expect they are, if not better.”

”I shall fight them in some shape or another, Bob, you may depend upon it.”

”Of course you will, Mr Keene, or you'll disappoint us all. The s.h.i.+p's company have every confidence in you, I can tell you.”

”Thanks to your long yarns, Bob, I presume.”

”Thanks to my telling the truth, Mr Keene. The schooner is right astern of us now, so there's the weather-gage gone--thank G.o.d!”

We remained as we were till I considered the two vessels sufficiently to leeward, and the sails were then set upon the Firefly, and first running to the eastward, so as to get right in the wind's eye of them, I put the helm up, and followed them. We had continued our course in their wake for about an hour, when day dawned, and the schooner, who had discovered us, fired a gun as a signal to her concert.

”So you've found us out at last, have you?” said Bob Cross--”at all events, we keep a better look-out than you do, old fellow.”