Part 47 (1/2)
”But, master Yeo, a sudden death?”
”And why not a sudden death, Sir John? Even fools long for a short life and a merry one, and shall not the Lord's people pray for a short death and a merry one? Let it come as it will to old Yeo Hark! there's the captain's voice!”
”Here she is!” thundered A up the hatchway as fast as the frantic rolling of the shi+p would let them
Yes There she was The cloud had lifted suddenly, and to the south a ragged bore of blue sky let a long stream of sunshi+ne down on her tallsome four or five miles to the eastward: but as for land, none was to be seen
”There she is; and here we are,” said Cary; ”but where is here? and where is there? How is the tide,up Channel by this ti the shi+p with terrible and cold blue eyes ”Can't we get at her?”
”Not unless some one juain and finish that mackerel, if this roll has not chucked it to the cockroaches under the table”
”Don't jest, Will! I can't stand it,” said Amyas, in a voice which quivered solike an aspen Cary took his arm, and drew him aside
”Dear old lad,” said he, as they leaned over the bulwarks, ”what is this? You are not yourself, and have not been these four days”
”No I aer Do not reason with ain,” and he passed his hand over his brow
”Do you believe,” said he, after a moment, ”that men can be possessed by devils?”
”The Bible says so”
”If my cause were not a just one, I should fancy I had a devil in me My throat and heart are as hot as the pit Would to God it were done, for done it o”
Cary went aith a shudder As he passed down the hatchway he looked back A away again at his sword-edge, as if there was some dreadful doom on him, to whet, and whet forever
The weary day wore on The strip of blue sky was curtained over again, and all was disrew sultrier every moment; and now and then a distantcould be done to lessen the distance between the shi+ps, for the Vengeance had had all her boats carried away but one, and that was ain to finish dinner, A up every now and then suddenly at the Spaniard, as if to satisfy himself that it was not a vision which had vanished
About two Yeo came up to him
”He is ours safely now, sir The tide has been running to the eastward for this two hours”
”Safe as a fox in a trap Satan himself cannot take him from us!”
”But God may,” said Briht that He-- There corowl from the ard heavens seemed to answer his ords, and rolled and loudened nearer and nearer, till right over their heads it crashed against some cloud-cliff far above, and all was still
Each man looked in the other's face: but A,” said he, ”and the wind in it It will be Eastward-ho now, for once, ht us luck,” said Jack in an undertone to Cary But by this time all eyes were turned to the north-west, where a black line along the horizon began to define the boundary of sea and air, till now all dim in mist
”There comes the breeze”
”And there the stor pace which sorowling slow and seldo the cloudy floor above their heads
”Here comes the breeze Round with the yards, or we shall be taken aback”
The yards creaked round; the sea grew crisp around thehtened every rope, filled every sail, bent her over A cheer burst froered away before the wind, right down upon the Spaniard, who lay still becalmed
”There is more behind, Amyas,” said Cary ”Shall we not shorten sail a little?”
”No Hold on every stitch,” said Amyas ”Give ht”
It was done, and in ten minutes the men were all at quarters, while the thunder rolled louder and louder overhead, and the breeze freshened fast
”The dog has it now There he goes!” said Cary
”Right before the wind He has no liking to face us”
”He is running into the jaws of destruction,” said Yeo ”An hour ht up the Channel, or smack on shore somewhere”
”There! he has put his helm down I wonder if he sees land?”
”He is like a March hare beat out of his country,” said Cary, ”and don't knohither to run next”
Cary was right In ten ain, and went away dead doind, while the Vengeance gained on him fast After two hours htning flashed nearer and nearer as the storm came up; and from the vast mouth of a black cloud-arch poured so fierce a breeze that A into open murmurs, and bade shorten sail
On they rushed with scarcely lessened speed, the black arch following fast, curtained by the flat gray sheet of pouring rain, before which the water was boiling in a long white line; while every moment behind the watery veil, a keen blue spark leapt down into the sea, or darted zigzag through the rain
”We shall have it now, and with a vengeance; this will try your tackle, master,” said Cary
The functionary answered with a shrug, and turned up the collar of his rough frock, as the first drops flew stinging round his ears Another minute and the squall burst full upon them, in rain, which cut like hail--hail which lashed the sea into froth, and hich whirled off the heads of the surges, and swept the waters into one white seething waste And above the leapt and ran, dazzling and blinding, while the deep roar of the thunder was changed to sharp ear-piercing cracks
”Get the arms and ammunition under cover, and then beloith you all,” shouted Aalley fire,” said Yeo, ”to be ready if the rain puts our linstocks out I hope you'll let me stay on deck, sir, in case--”
”I must have some one, and who better than you? Can you see the chase?”
No; she rapped in the gray ind She ht they could have seen of her
And now Aehts, and knew that they were his own The squall blew fiercer and fiercer, the rain poured heavier and heavier Where was the Spaniard?