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Updated: May 3, 2025
What have I done?" said Prose, with a whimpering voice as he reluctantly ascended the main-rigging, not unperceived by Jerry, who was watching the result as he pulled on board of the privateer. "Come on board for these gentlemen's clothes, sir," said Jerry, reporting himself to Mr Pearce, who, not a little surprised to see him, inquired "Did Mr Price receive my note?" "Yes, sir, he did."
As it was my spell at the crow's-nest, I made at once for the main-rigging, and had got halfway to the top, when some unusual sounds below arrested me. All hands were gathered in the waist, a not unusual thing at the changing of the watch. In the midst of them, as I looked down, two men came together in a fierce struggle. They were Goliath and the skipper.
They seemed scarcely aware that their companions below had yielded, and that all hope of resistance was vain. The rush of the British seamen who now swarmed on board and swept along the deck undeceived them, and, driven right and left or overboard, the remainder dropped their swords and asked for quarter. Paul, followed by True Blue, had gained the main-rigging.
"I don't know what Hazard and Green are about" called out Roswell Gardiner to his owner, the first being on the quarter-deck of the Sea Lion, and the last on the wharf, while Watson was busy in the main-rigging; "they've been long enough on the main to ship a dozen crews for a craft of this size, and we are still short two hands, even if this man sign the papers, which he has not yet done.
Striking the taffrail, the wave subsided, and washing from side to side, left the drowning cook high and dry on the after-hatch: his extinguished pipe still between his teeth, and almost bitten in two. The few men on deck having sprung into the main-rigging, sailor-like, did nothing but roar at his calamity.
Our skipper was standing just abaft the main-rigging, conning the ship, with one hand on the topmast backstay all ready for a spring, while he signalled the helmsman with the other. Sennitt was forward, also ready for the rush; while Mr Clewline, who with a dozen hands was to remain on board and take care of the ship, was in the waist.
At the same moment a dapper young fellow in the uniform of a British midshipman sprang into the main-rigging, speaking-trumpet in hand, and hailed us somewhat in the following fashion, "Cutter ahoy! who are you, and whither bound? and what is that piratical-looking craft down to leeward?
After which, suddenly changing his tone and manner, he sung out loudly and clearly, "Hands, make sail! Let go the bow-lines! Round in the weather braces! Mast-head, there! let me know when the strange sail is right ahead!" Then leaping on the hammocks, and resting his glass against the after-swifter of the main-rigging, he swept the horizon impatiently for the stranger.
"She looks large enough for a frigate," replied the man; "but I shall have a better sight of her in a few minutes, sir; she is steering this way." "I say, Chester, suppose it's a frigate from Gibraltar with despatches for the admiral; what will you do?" exclaimed young Smellie, as we stood together by the weather-bulwarks, hanging on to the main-rigging.
Captain Turnbull rose slowly to his feet, and, advancing to where the mate stood near the main-rigging, tapped that individual softly on the shoulder with his pipe-stem. The mate turned round. Captain Turnbull looked fixedly at him for some moments as though he thought he recognised him, but was not quite sure, and then observed "I say, are you the cap'n of this ship?"
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