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We got the starboard tacks aboard, we cast off our weather-braces and lifts; we set in the lee-braces, and hauled forward by the weather-bowlings, and hauled them tight, and belayed them, and hauled over the mizen tack to windward, and kept her full and by as near as she would lie.
'Nay, I think it was on our larboard bow, said another. The mate held up his hand, and we all listened for some fresh sign of the whereabouts of our scurvy neighbour. The wind had freshened a little, and we were slipping through the water at four or five knots an hour. Of a sudden a hoarse voice was heard roaring at our very side. ''Bout ship! it shouted. 'Bear a hand on the lee-braces, there!
She must come here to tack into her consort's wake, and a blind man could not avoid reading our name she would be so close. Man the lee-braces, and right the helm, Neb." Fill we did; and what is more, we put our helm up so much, as to leave quite a cable's-length between us and the Speedy, when that ship got far enough ahead to tack, or at the point which we had just left.
"You can do as you like about that," said Captain Gillespie, turning on his heel and calling the watch to tauten the lee-braces a bit, telling the men at the wheel at the same time to "luff" more; "but, you'd better let the chap have a good lie-in to-night and put him in the port watch to-morrow so that Mr Mackay can look after him."
By this time you may be sure all our hands were at their quarters, so we clapped our helm hard a-weather, let go the lee-braces of the maintop sail, and laid it a-back, and so our ship fell athwart the Portuguese ship's hawse; then we immediately poured in our broadside, raking them fore and aft, and killed them a great many men.
As all hands were wanted for the work, Bowse clapped on himself, petting a rope into even Mitchell's hands, and in a short time the Zodiac, stripped of her wings, was brought under more easy-working canvas. The lee-braces were then flattened in a little, and the helm being put a few strokes to starboard, she headed up towards the north.
Lively, if you don't want to swim! Come in, port-braces! Don't let 'm get away! Lee-braces! if you lose that turn I'll split your skull! Lively! Lively! Is that helm hard over! Why in hell don't you answer?" All this I heard as I dashed for the lee door and as I wondered why I did not hear the Samurai's voice. Then, as I passed the chart-room door, I saw him.
Then the look-out man whistles "Hist!" which is quite an unusual mode of signalling; the officer ceases his monotonous tramp and runs forward. "Luff a little!" "He's still bearing up. Why doesn't he keep away?" "Luff a little more! Stand by your lee-braces. Oh, he'll go clear!"
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