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By four bells in the first watch the wind had moderated sufficiently to permit of our setting all three royals, as well as the weather topgallant studdingsails; and half-an-hour later we sighted the craft of which we were in pursuit about four points on our starboard-bow.
"Mainsail haul!" and the ponderous mainyard was swung round, bringing with it the maintopsail and topgallant yards with all their acreage of canvas: the foreyards followed suit, when the captain shouted, "Haul of all;" and, after the final order, "Brace sharp!" the Nancy Bell might have been seen heading a sou'-south-east course in lieu of her former direction to the westwards, and gaining more southing by the change.
I think you had better begin to take in sail, at once. Call the watch up from below. It is not coming yet; but we may as well strip her, at once." The mate gave the order to the boatswain, whose shrill whistle sounded out, followed by the shout of "All hands to take in sail!" The watch below tumbled up. "Take the royals and topgallant sails off her, Mr. Probert.
Casting his eye to the northward, he shouted "All hands on deck; shorten sail! Be smart, my lads, or we shall have the masts whipped over the sides." The crew who were on deck flew aloft; the watch below came tumbling up and hastened to join the rest, some laying out on the fore and main-topsail yards, while others handed the royals and topgallant sails.
"Stand by sheets and halyards!" shouted the first lieutenant. "Man the jib, and flying jib halyards, and downhauls!" "All ready forward, sir," reported the second lieutenant, whose place was on the forecastle. "Man the topgallant clewlines and buntlines!" continued Terrill. "All ready, sir!" "Ease off the sheets! Settle away the halyards! Clew up! Lay aloft, and furl topgallant-sail!"
"Well there with the windlass!" cried Carter delightedly. "Let go your to'gallant and topsail halyards and sheets; man your clewlines; fore and main clew-garnets. Stand by to let go the anchor!" "Ay, ay, sir!" was the response from the topgallant forecastle. "All ready with the anchor. Stand clear of the cable!"
Then I followed the rest of the party up on to the poop, and bade them pull the two poop-ladders up after them. The poop and topgallant forecastle thus formed two citadels, of a sort, capable of being pretty fairly defended, except in the face of an overwhelming force.
The long royal-masts were sent down and replaced by stump topgallant masts, the flying jib-boom, and the studding-sail booms were also sent down, and all the boats, except one, were got in and secured, and the hatches were battened down, and everything else was done to make the ship light aloft. Some of the men thought the captain over careful, but it was soon shown that he was right.
Won't you forgive me?" pleaded McDougal, still upon his knees. "What does all this mean?" demanded Pelham, who was officer of the deck, as he rushed to the spot from the topgallant forecastle, where he had gone to keep out of the way of the splashing waters. "O, Mr. Pelham," groaned the hoseman, "I am so sorry!"
"Then off!" shouted the "Boston's" skipper, and at the word down came his topgallant sheets, the yards going up at the same moment, and the royal sheets fluttering down into their berths, as the yards rose to meet them; then up went the royal yards to their respective mast-heads, the courses dropped heavily down, the staysails and flying-jib slid up their stays, and the driver was hauled out, the whole being done with the regularity and rapidity of a well-oiled and easy-working machine.
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