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We had not weathered Finisterre yet, though we had been bucketing about in the Bay now for over three days; the wind, which had been blowing in strong squalls from the north'ard and west'ard, suddenly backing to the south-east and coming on to blow harder than ever.
Making certain that they could not be overheard, Joe whispered: "What news of Stede Bonnet? You've seen him? When? Did he cruise to the north'ard? Has he been seen off Charles Town?" "He came ashore not long ago, and invited me to dinner at the tavern with him," bragged Jack. "And he coaxed me to sign in his ship." "Yes, you'd catch his eye, Cockrell, but listen!
'Now, then, says the old man, 'never mind that trash for'ard, let that go; git a jumper on to the main-yard and a preventer main-topsail brace aloft; lay aloft for your lives, and clap preventer gaskets on everythin' that's furled; we'll have it soon from the north'ard fit to take the masts out of her. He were right.
"Why o' course, we ain't no pirates," said Journegan. "Well, chuck out your knives, or we'll be for closing with you," I cried. "This thing is over, and one or the other will be in command." "Why don't ye take the boat an' go clear? Dalton, here, will give ye the provisions, an' you can get to the north'ard and make port.
That track wasn't made there more nor two hours ago, and it's pretty sartin the one that made it ain't fur away at this time. It happens it leads to the north'ard, and it'll be a little divarsion to foller it, minding at the same time that there's an Injin in it." For the present the trapper was on a trail, and he kept it with the skill and certainty of a hound.
But there's nobody rightly knows about those parts: only it couldn't be far north'ard, nor much different from this country, for he brought a fine breed o' sheep with him, so there must be pastures there, and everything reasonable.
This did not take long in doing the whaler being also manned and the senior midshipman sent in charge of her, with the boatswain to check his rashness; and then, the three of us, first cutter, second cutter and whaler, were all taken in tow by the Mermaid, which went off full speed ahead after the Arab dhows that were now only some five miles off us, the cruiser shaping a slanting course so as to prevent them from making for the wide stretch of open water that lay to the north'ard, should they try to escape in that way.
He couldn't stand to the south'ard, because that would put the back of Cape Cod under his lee. He was afraid to stand to the north'ard, not knowing precisely where the coast of Maine might be. So he hove the ship to, under as little sail as he could, and let her drift. When it did come, wind and sea appeared to have gone down.
"There's a whole fleet o' dhows a-creeping up under the lee of the land and running before the wind to the north'ard, sir!" This stopped Mr Dabchick's yawns and made him open his sleepy eyes pretty wide, I can tell you!
"Because to the north'ard is the Strait of Sunda, and the Malay pirates are always cruising about, often as far as this. Did you ever happen to hear of Zangorri?" "Yes." "Well, all I can say is, if you hadn't been wrecked, you'd have probably had your throat cut by that devil." "Can't any body catch him?" "They don't catch him at any rate. Whether they can or not is another question."
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