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We will tack the ship, if you please, Mr Bryce." "Ay, ay, sir. Hands 'bout ship!" responded the chief-mate; and in a minute or two the men were at their stations. "All ready, sir!" reported Mr Bryce Captain Blyth walked aft to the mizen-rigging, signed to the helmsman, and gave the word: "Helm's a-lee!"
The passengers of whom the Southern Cross carried twenty in her saloon were mustered, in their fine-weather toggery, on the poops of the two ships, eyeing each other curiously at intervals, but chiefly intent upon the impending ceremony of "speaking," the two captains having established themselves in their respective mizen-rigging.
"He does not quarrel with or shoot his companions, and I do not believe that there is a braver man in the service." Our conversation was interrupted by a chase after poor Gogles, whom Spellman and others had started up the mizen-rigging, giving him a minute's start. If they caught him he was to receive a cobbing; if he escaped he was to give them one, if he could.
The seas were running so high that it was not easy to obtain much of a look at the horizon; but, by getting into the mizen-rigging, I had a glimpse of a vessel's spars, to the eastward of us, and directly on our course.
As she did so, the boatswain with his mates sprang aft, and in a moment it seemed that the enemy's bowsprit, or rather jib-boom, was lashed to our mizen-rigging, in spite of a heavy rattling fire of musketry, kept up on them by the French marines on their forecastle. A body of our marines came aft to reply to them, and numbers were dropping on both sides.
The word to "ease her" was passed below into the Victoria's engine-room; and Mr Damerell and Eva had the opportunity of not only seeing, but also of exchanging a few words with Ned, who had soon espied them on the steamer's bridge, and had placed himself in the mizen-rigging for the purpose.
"Philadelphia. Do not luff so near me; some accident may happen." "Vat you call 'accident? Can nevair hear, eh? I will come tout pres." "Give us a wider berth, I tell you! Here is your jib boom nearly foul of my mizen-rigging." "Vat mean zat, bert' vidair? eh! Allons, mes enfants, c'est le moment!" "Luff a little, and keep his spar clear," cried our captain.
The ringleader, Forrest, was then triced up in the mizen-rigging, "two hours on and two off," to await the punishment of his crimes. The next day brought a fresh vision of the Stars and Stripes, but this time from the mizen-peak of a heavily-armed steamer, which appeared early in the morning, standing in towards the harbour.
The Englishman set his mizen-stay-sail, and though he made bad weather of it, he evidently ran much less risk than in scudding. The seas came on board him constantly; but not in a way to do any material damage. As for the Dawn, she lay-to, like a duck, under bare poles. I had a spare stay-sail, stopped up in her mizen-rigging, from the top down, and after that the ship was both easy and dry.
Captain Jumper stood in the mizen-rigging directing the movements of his ship, while the other officers were stationed in different parts in command of the guns, some on the upper and main-deck, others on the forecastle and poop.
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