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The cheer was answered by Sawkins' men, from the periagua, as they fired into the frigate's ports. Ringrose ran alongside the admiral, and crept "so close" under the vessel's stern, "that we wedged up the rudder." The admiral was shot, and killed, a moment later, as he brought aft a few musketeers to fire out of the stern ports. The ship's pilot, or sailing master, was killed by the same volley.
Instead of turning pale, the color deepened on her cheeks, as the periagua came dancing along, under the lee of the cruiser; and if her respiration became quicker than usual, it was scarcely produced by the agitation of alarm. The near sight of the tall masts, and of the maze of cordage that hung nearly above their heads, however, prevented the change from being noted.
They made up their minds to go on until they should reach this bar. At its end appeared a proper place for the periagua to come to, and take them aboard. The craft was still working up stream, and had got nearly opposite them, so that they could hail it. They did so desiring the popero, or steersman, to put in at the extremity of the sand-bar.
The Coquette was alone, however; for the arrival of a trader, from a distant port, was an event of unfrequent occurrence, at the commencement of the eighteenth century. The course of the periagua brought her within fifty feet of the sloop-of-war. As the former approached, a movement of curiosity and interest occurred among those she contained.
If you should keep the Milk-Maid away, we shall lose a little in distance, though I think the man-of-war's men will be puzzled to catch her, with a flowing sheet!" "The Queen has sent a message by the gentleman," the mariner rejoined: "it would be unmannerly to refuse to hear it." "Heave-to, the periagua!" shouted the young officer, in the cutter. "In Her Majesty's name, I command you, obey."
His eye turned upward, at the simple rig and modest sails of the periagua, while his upper lip curled with the knowing expression of a critic.
If there be any thing on it, or in it, that should not in reason be so, this worthy commander of the periagua will let us know the rest." "A wood-boat from the inlet says, the 'Skimmer of the Seas' was lately seen standing along the coast," returned the ferry-man, in the tone of one who is certain of delivering matter of general interest.
A periagua even left the river for the city, at the extraordinary hour of midnight!" "Sir, boats will move on the water, when the hands of man set them in motion; but what have I to answer for in the matter? If goods have entered the Province, without license, why, they must be found and condemned; and if free-traders are on the coast, they should be caught.
By the former manoeuvres, the periagua had gained a position well to windward of the wharf; and she was now steered close upon the wind, directly for the shore. Against the consequences of a perseverance in this course, however, the schipper saw fit to remonstrate. "Shipwrecks and rocky bottoms!" exclaimed the alarmed waterman.
However, though my little periagua was finished, yet the size of it was not at all answerable to the design which I had in view when I made the first; I mean, of venturing over to the terra firma, where it was above forty miles broad; accordingly, the smallness of my boat assisted to put an end to that design, and now I thought no more of it.
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