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Updated: June 3, 2025
"That's just what I do mean, then, and no mistake. My eyes! there's a show of 'em, too; never seed so many afore in my life. You mark my words, Dick, and see if something out o' the common don't happen to this here little barkie afore four-and-twenty hours is over our heads." "What sort of a somethin' d'ye mean, Tom, bo'?" asked another. "Why, harm or damage o' some kind," replied the oracle.
"Ay, ay," chuckled Bob, "it ain't every craft as can stick her bowsprit into the wind's eye like this here little barkie. Now I dare swear he's jammed hard up upon a taut bowline, and here we are going as close to the wind as he is, and every thread ramping full. Take hold of her a minute, Hal, and let's see what these old eyes of mine can tell us about the stranger."
Still watching the vessel, as the smoke from her guns drove away to leeward, we saw three little tongues of flame darting out from her side. "Tell you what, Chester!" exclaimed Summers; "those fellows ashore are firing red-hot shot, and they've set the old barkie on fire."
"I watched the little barkie fairly out of sight, and then I began to feel lonesome like, and I'll own that most oncomfortable thoughts came into my head about the sea-sarpent; but, strange as you may think it, I never give a thought to the sharks.
Their best chance of getting the weather-gauge of us is by surprise; but in a little barkie like this here we larns the knack of sleeping with one eye open, and they'll have to be oncommon 'cute that surprises us." "Oh!" exclaimed Ella, "I hope and pray that we may not see those wretches; it would be dreadful beyond description to fall into their hands.
Then, indeed, when our speed had dwindled to about four knots, and our canvas collapsed at every roll of the vessel for lack of wind to fill it, we were able to hold our own with the brig; while still later, when the wind had fallen so light that the horizon had become invisible and the oil-smooth surface of the ocean showed scarcely a wrinkle in its satin- smooth folds to indicate that there was still a faint movement of the atmosphere, we gradually drew ahead of our consort, at the rate of about half a knot per hour, and even contrived to retain command of our little barkie, and keep her head pointed the right way, when the brig had begun to box the compass.
"Now, as to the brig, it's my opinion as they means to careen her, just as we've done with our little barkie. They've been working like galley- slaves aboard there all day, and have stripped her to her lower-masts. The sails are all gone ashore, for I saw 'em lowered over the side into the boats with these same two good-looking eyes of mine, but the spars is still aboard.
Yet, after watching the movements of the schooner for about half an hour, and noting how, time after time, when the little barkie seemed to be trembling on the very brink of destruction, she unfailingly came to in time to avoid being overwhelmed, I grew so inured to the experience that I found myself able to go below and make an excellent breakfast with perfect equanimity.
"Now the old barkie travels," exclaimed the exultant Ritson. "Unhook the gun-tackles, you sea-dogs, and rush the gun aft; we'll try a shot out through the stern-ports this time." At this moment the boom of another gun from the schooner was heard; and next moment the shot came flying through the Aurora's rigging, cutting the main-brace pennant, and passing through the head of the foresail.
Dysentery was awful bad among the crews just at that time, and no less than seven was ashore from our old barkie bad, when she left. Two chaps run as soon as she got in, and couldn't be found agin; so there was nine berths in the fo'c'sle to be filled when she was ready to sail. As I was savin', I was one of the new hands shipped.
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