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During the skirmish I had caught a momentary glimpse of her at about a cable's length on our port beam through the glancing of the pistol-flashes on her spars and rigging, but now she was nowhere to be seen. "Matthews," said Mr Flinn, "take a blue-light from the launch into the fore-top and burn it."
He asked the question with hesitation, being impressed with a strange disbelief in tigers, except in a menagerie, and feeling nearly as much ashamed as if he had asked whether they kept elephants in the sugar-basin. To his relief Flinn did not laugh, but replied quite gravely "Och! yes, we've got a few, but they don't often come nigh the house.
"Our present course, however, will take us unpleasantly close to that battery; so," looking round until his eye lighted on me "be so good as to step down to the main-deck, Mr Chester, and request Mr Flinn to treble-shot his larboard broadside and pour it into that battery as we pass.
But the brigantine was slipping through the water three feet to their one, under the influence of the light baffling breeze which came down to us from over the lofty cliffs astern, and we were soon within hailing distance. "Mr Martin, are the starboard guns loaded?" asked Mr Flinn. "Yes, sir," was the reply. "Loaded with round and grape."
"Why, you'd hardly get asleep before you'd have to wake up." "Then what's the use going to sleep at all, at all?" remarked Andy Flinn, with a broad smile. "Let's draw lots to say who'll stand guard the whole night" "Well, I guess not," objected Spider, vigorously.
Among the widowed mothers who early instilled into their rising generation a deep love of their country, and a manful determination to defend their firesides and their homes, might be named Mrs. Steele, Mrs. Flinn, Mrs. Sharpe, Mrs. Graham, Mrs. Hunter, Mrs. Jackson and many others, as bright examples in Mecklenburg, Rowan and adjoining counties.
As soon as the sails were furled, Captain Annesley went below to his cabin, and immediately sent for Mr Flinn, Mr Vining, Mr Martin, and me. We trundled down one after the other, and found our chief bending anxiously over a chart which was lying spread open upon the cabin-table.
Mr Flinn had charge of one boat, Percival and I went in the other. We soon saw that she was French, and the lads gave a cheer and laid themselves out to race for her. Our boat was rather the lighter of the two, and Percival and I promised our people a bottle of grog if we got alongside first, in consequence of which we beat Flinn all to splinters.
"Well, Mr Flinn," said the skipper, meeting us at the gangway, "glad to see you back safe and sound; you too, Mr Chester," shaking hands with us both. "But how is this? Are you hurt, Ralph?" as on my facing to the eastward the light fell upon my face, and he saw blood upon it. "A broken skull, sir;" I replied, "nothing very serious though, I believe." "And what's the news?" continued the skipper.
If the frequent expanding of the mouth from ear to ear, the exposure of white teeth and red gums, and the shutting up of glittering eyes, indicated enjoyment, the attenuated boy must have been in a blissful condition that day. "Why don't ye shoot yerself, Mister Flinn?" asked Slagg on one occasion while reloading. "Bekaise it shuits me better to look on," answered the self-denying man.
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