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Updated: May 3, 2025
As soon as the schooner's crew discovered that their surrender had not been accepted, they reopened fire as well as they could from their own guns, and a man was seen to jump into the main-rigging and run aloft with something rolled up under his arm, which proved in another minute to be the black flag.
The first individual he saw on emerging from the hatchway was Johnson, the pirate captain, who was leaning moodily over the lee rail abaft the main-rigging, smoking a well-seasoned pipe. "Good morning, captain," exclaimed Lance genially, as he sauntered up to the man. "What a delightful morning and how good your tobacco smells!
Foot by foot the brig for such she was crept up to the Aurora, until her bows were in a line with the barque's stern and not more than twenty feet distant. George stood by the main-rigging, watching her, cutlass in hand, calm and determined, his plans already formed for action in the event of his suspicions proving correct.
Still the stout ship kept her course, under reduced canvas. "I told you, Ned, that it was not always calm and sunshine," observed Gilbert, while he and his friends clung to the weather-bulwarks as the ship plunged into the heavy seas. "I wonder how the other ships are faring? Let us climb into the main-rigging and see."
Darkness came on; but three lights up and down in the Pequod's main-rigging dimly guided our way; till drawing nearer we saw Ahab dropping one of several more lanterns over the bulwarks.
Then Master Bob hove into view in the main-rigging once more, still with the precious speaking-trumpet in his hand, and the guarda-costa was sternly ordered to surrender as I afterwards learned, we being at the moment rather too far astern to hear what passed, which she forthwith did.
The chief mate now reappeared upon the poop, having by this time mustered a gang of men, whom he had left clinging to the main-rigging, thinking it not unlikely the main-mast would also have to go. By the time he reached Captain Staunton's side the mind of the latter was made up. "It is no good, Bowles," he said; "she will do nothing; we must part with the main-mast also.
Darkness came on; but three lights up and down in the Pequod's main-rigging dimly guided our way; till drawing nearer we saw Ahab dropping one of several more lanterns over the bulwarks.
A fine-looking man stood in the main-rigging. The midshipmen shouted, "We are going down, we fear. Can you render assistance?" "Ay, ay that I will!" answered the master of the packet. "I will run alongside you. Stand by to leap on board!"
Forty-six forty-nine's good enough fer them; an' I guess it's abaout right, too." Dan chalked the figures on the board, and they hung it in the main-rigging to a chorus of mercis from the bark. "Seems kinder uneighbourly to let 'em swedge off like this," Salters suggested, feeling in his pockets. "Hev ye learned French then sence last trip?" said Disko.
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