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"Why, to tell you the truth, Mr Chester, I half thought I did," replied Sennitt; "but after all I believe it is only fancy; your imagination has infected my own, and if we stand here much longer we shall fancy a whole French fleet there to windward.
Captain Brisac was much too gentlemanly to swear. He simply turned to the first lieutenant and said, "We have rather overdone it this time, Sennitt; however, it is no use crying over spilt milk, so turn the hands up, please, and let them clear away the wreck, and repair damages as soon as possible."
So strong, indeed, did the illusion at length become, that I could have sworn I caught a momentary glimpse of a light to windward, and, after hesitating a few minutes, I became so convinced that I had seen a light, that I went up to Mr Sennitt and reported it. "A light, Mr Chester. Where away?" said he rather anxiously. "Here, sir," I replied; "broad on our starboard quarter."
The sun was just sinking below the horizon, his parting beams lighting up gorgeously a heavy bank of clouds which hung low down in the western quarter, when the lookout man aloft hailed, "A sail on the weather bow!" Everybody was instantly on the alert. "What do you make her out to be?" hailed Mr Sennitt, the first lieutenant; while the skipper turned to me and said,
You let the skipper know what we're going to do, Chester; and I'll stand by to fire directly he gives the word." It was no very easy matter to secure the skipper's attention and make him understand what we proposed to do; but I managed to accomplish it at last. As soon as he understood me, he hailed in a voice which rose clear and high above the din, "Is Mr Sennitt there?"
Seeing that my narrative would not be likely to do any harm, I thereupon proceeded to tell my story, which proved productive of a great deal of laughter. At its conclusion the skipper said, "Pour yourself out another glass of wine, Mr Chester, and then, I suppose, I must excuse you. Mr Sennitt will not easily forgive me, if I prevent you from keeping your proper watch."
The skipper was dreadfully put out at being obliged to run away, but though the French frigate was very nearly dead astern she yawed about sufficiently to enable us to count sixteen ports of a side, and even Mr Sennitt who was accounted the greatest fire-eater on board was fain to acknowledge that this was just a gun or two too many for us.
"Upon my word, Sennitt, I fear you are right," at last said the skipper, bringing his glass reluctantly down into the hollow of his arm.
What a set of lubbers they are aboard that frigate!" he continued to Sennitt. "Had she been English, instead of French, that broadside would have blown us out of the water.
Her sails were evidently new so new, indeed, that they had scarcely had time to stretch to their proper dimensions and her paint looked fresh and clean; these circumstances impressing the acute Mr Sennitt with the conviction that the craft was fresh out of the dockyard from an extensive overhaul, or that she was a new vessel.
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