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These large prahus are too heavy to pull well, though they carry thirty, forty, and even fifty oars: their armament is one or two six-pounders in the bow, one four-pounder stern-chaser, and a number of swivels, besides musketry, spears, and swords.
"What's goin' on here," he demanded, as quaveringly as querulously. I made no answer, but saw our bows crawl out and away, felt the sob of the screws, the arm of the river also, and knew a vast and pleasing content with life. "L'Olonnois!" I called through the megaphone. "Aye, aye, Sir!" I heard his piping rejoinder. "Cast loose the stern-chaser and fire her at yon varlet if he makes a move."
After custom, I signaled loud and often with the boat's whistle, so that the men might come to the landing for us; and, in order that Edouard himself might be warned, I gave orders to my hardy mates to make proper nautical salute of honor. "Cast loose the stern-chaser, Jean Lafitte," said I: "and do you and L'Olonnois load and fire her often as you like until we land; or until you burst her."
The mate brought him to the cabin as I was laying the table. "This is the cabin," he was saying, "where the gentlemen messes. That's our stern-chaser, the gun there." "Oh," said the stranger, looking about him like one who has never seen a ship before. "But where do they sleep? "Why, no," said the mate. "They sleep in the little cabins yonder. But we musn't stay down here now.
Talbot replied with his stern-chaser, and a cloud of splinters showed that the shot took effect, whereat the men at the gun cheered and loaded, and then crash went the mizzen topgallant mast above their heads! "Lively, men!" shouted Seymour, "we must get on the wind again or we are lost." "Breakers on the starboard bow!" shrieked the lookout on the forecastle suddenly. "Breakers on the port bow!"
No sooner does our old stern-chaser spy her than he slides down to the groun', an' risin' up on his hind legs, throws out his chest, an' cocks his eye at her, for all the world like a man when he sees a pretty girl comin' his way.
"A sail coming down fast, the little brig, sir," reported the officer of the deck to Captain Vincent. "Shall we come about and give him a broadside?" "No, no; we dare not handle the braces yet, not until the gear and spars have been well overhauled." "Shall we use the stern-chaser then, sir?"
So down he went to the cabin, and up he came again to find Mr. Job with his best coat-tails spread, seated on the carriage of the Pride's stern-chaser. "Oh, Lord!" he couldn't help groaning. "What's the matter?" "Nothing, Mr. Job, nothing." The fact was, Jacka had smeared a dollop of honey on that very gun-carriage to keep the wasps off him while he worked.
This action rather alarmed the sailors, who feared that their commander, Lieut. Burrows, whose character was unknown to them, intended to avoid the enemy, and was rigging the long gun for a stern-chaser.
In answer without order from me, my bloodthirsty mate, L'Olonnois, brought out the black burgee of the Jolly Rover, bearing a skull and cross-bones. "Have a look at that!" he piped. "Shall we clear the stern-chaser, Black Bart?" "Hold on there, wait! I've got papers for you," called the officer, still hanging at our rail, for I had not yet ordered full speed.
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