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Updated: June 4, 2025
Let go the halyards there, and down with that squaresail. Quick with those boats. There will be a squall upon us directly."
"Keep up the helm, Tom, and hoist away on the squaresail!" The lugger was put before the wind, running considerably faster than she had hitherto been doing through the water. The corvette must have observed her change of course, as she also kept away, and once more her topgallant sails were loosed. It was too dark to observe how the masts stood the pressure.
The supposed Cutter was an open boat of about thirty-five feet keel, painted red inside and black without, except a streak of white about two inches wide; calculated for rowing or sailing prepared with long sweeps, and carrying a jib, foresail, mainsail, and squaresail. They were all dressed with neat jackets and trowsers, and wore palm-leaf hats.
We had of course taken the precaution to get down a couple of reefs in our topsail, and the same in the foresail, as well as to haul down the squaresail and get the bonnet off the jib before leaving the Conquistador, but it was not until we had hauled our wind and put the schooner on a taut bowline, that we were able to realise how hard it was actually blowing.
Lay aft here, some of you, to the braces, and lay the yards square. Well there, belay! Main throat and peak-halliards hoist away. Ease off the mainsheet. Rouse up the squaresail, Mr Dugdale, and set it, if you please. Well there with the throat-halliards; well with the peak; belay! Away aloft, one hand, and loose the gaff-topsail!
At length, one morning when I came on deck to keep my watch, I saw the stars shining brightly overhead the wind had fallen, the sea was going down, and the schooner, with her squaresail rigged out, was running gaily along.
"I think that Captain Rayburn must be recalling his talk to us at Sarawak about running away from us," said Louis. "What is he doing now, Captain Scott?" "He appears to be hoisting a yard on his foremast," replied Scott. "What is that for?" "If you watch the steamer for a little while longer, you will see him shake out a fore squaresail, and that will be the sharpest move he has made yet.
What effect their shot produced could not be seen, though Beal declared that one, if not both, struck the lugger. They did not, however, stop her way. She fired her long gun in return. It was well aimed, for down came the squaresail, the halliards shot away. The lugger's crew were heard cheering.
Once outside the river mouth, with a nice light breeze blowing off the land, we set squaresail, mainsail, and foresail and stood directly out to sea on as grand a day and under as fair conditions as a yachtsman could desire; and when we were gaily bowling along Sir Gilbert bade me unpack the basket which had been put aboard from the hotel it was a long time, he said, since his breakfast, and we would eat and drink at the outset of things.
He had not reckoned on the chance of being captured as a smuggler, or made prisoner by the enemy, or shot by either the one or the other. The crew were at their stations, ready to trim sails the moment the slightest breath of air should reach them. The topsails had before been set. The squaresail and studding-sails were got up ready to hoist at an instant's notice.
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