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The grain wharves and the oil wharves were passed; the sniff of the mackerel fisher, the faint odour from the great Alexandrian merchantman loaded with the spices of India, were come and gone.
When, however, the leading frigate got almost within range, it seemed to strike her captain that the Ruby was not altogether like a heavy merchantman. Instead of coming on, she suddenly hauled her tacks aboard and stood back towards her consorts. The Ruby on this made all sail in chase; the frigate, however, was a fast craft and kept well ahead.
They had not far to pull, for the vessels going ahead, the boats dropped alongside the English merchantman, which was to windward.
It was a miracle that Clif was not hit; his uniform was torn in three places and his cap knocked off. The sailor next to him got a nasty wound in the arm, made by a flying fragment. And that of course made the merchantman safe she steamed off in triumph. It was bad for the tug, too, for it showed the batteries were getting the range. The plight of the Uncas was a desperate one.
After proceeding in this way for rather more than ninety days, they arrived at a country called Java-dvipa, where various forms of error and Brahmanism are flourishing, while Buddhism in it is not worth speaking of. After staying there for five months, Fâ-hien again embarked in another large merchantman, which also had on board more than two hundred men.
At this, a roar arose from the pirates, who, having thrown some of their grappling-irons over the gunwale of the merchantman, were now pulling hard upon them to bring the two vessels together, and Captain Bonnet shouted back at Ben: "What are you talking about, you drivelling idiot; haven't you told Mr. Marchand that I am a pirate?"
She embarked, as she had said; and, when the squadron was at sea, told the commodore her intention. Make all the sail you can, said she, and give chase to the merchantman that sailed yesterday out of this port: I give it to you to be plundered, if you take it; if not, your life shall answer it.
Meantime Admiral Hopson was in extreme danger, for the French fire-ship having fallen on board him, whereby his rigging was set on fire, he expected every moment to be burnt; but it happened that the fire-ship was a merchantman, and laden with snuff, and being fitted up in haste, the snuff in some measure extinguished the fire.
He reported that they were far from small craft; two or three were good-sized frigates, and the rest were of a considerable burden. "So much the better," said Captain Benbow. "It will induce them to attack us; we must do our best to send them to the bottom one after the other." The merchantman having proceeded on her course to the west, the Ruby continued standing on to the westward.
The lieutenant sprang below, just at the moment that Captain Olding ordered the crew of the corvette to return on board and the grappling-irons to be cast loose. "We must chase the pirate and punish him for his audacity," he exclaimed. It was some time, however, before the order could be obeyed and the corvette got clear of the merchantman. Gerald had remained on board.
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