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Updated: May 17, 2025
We returned early after dinner from Mr N 's to our lodgings, and as I knew Gelid was expected at his brother's in the evening, to meet a large assemblage of kindred, and as the night was rainy and tempestuous, I persuaded him to trust the watch to me; and as our brown landlady had been up nearly the whole of the previous night, I sent for Tailtackle to spell me, while the black valets acted with great assiduity in their capacity of surgeon's mates.
"Ah, Tailtackle! well done, old boy," sung out a volley of voices, men and officers, rejoiced to see the honest fellow alive. He clambered on board, in the bight of one of twenty ropes that were hove to him. When he came on deck the captain slyly said, "I don't think you'll go a bird nesting in a hurry again, Tailtackle."
At length I handed the glass to Tailtackle again. We were at this time standing in towards the Cuba shore, with a fine breeze, and going along seven knots, as near as could be. "Give the glass to Mr Jigmaree, Mr Tailtackle, and come forward here, and see all snug."
We attacked them; Tailtackle, who as soon as he heard the cry of "boarders," had rushed out of the magazine and followed us, split the captain's skull with his cutlass. The lieutenant was my bird, and I had nearly finished him, when he suddenly drew a pistol from his belt and shot me through the shoulder.
"She's a large vessel, sir," said Tailtackle, "there's no doubt of that; there goes her lower sails, and now they're furling her topsail; ha! she's crossing our bows; look out, sir, here comes a shot." "The devil!" ejaculated I. I now saw the vessel plain enough, scudding before the wind.
All this time a fine breeze was driving us rapidly towards the coast of Cuba. "Give the glass to the boatswain, Master Tailtackle, and come forward here." The long gun was now swung round, and the other pieces run into the opened ports. They were all double shotted and carefully primed, and the whole crew, even to a negro we had on board, stood at their posts ready for action.
Tailtackle had pulled off his jacket, and was standing by my side. His belt was tightly drawn round his waist, and his cutlass hung from it. The rest of the men were armed in the same manner; some of them had also, muskets, and the others stood at their posts, near the guns. The grapnels were loosened, and tubs of wadding, and boxes of cartridge stood ready for use.
In short, all was prepared for action. "Master Tailtackle," said I, "your post is in the magazine. Lay aside your cutlass; it is not your duty to lead the boarders." "Master Timothy," said Bangs, "could you do without one of these pikes?" "Certainly, sir," replied Timothy, laughing, "but you do not intend to lead the boarders yourself, do you, sir?"
We got on deck, the officers touching their hats, and speedily the Captain dived down the ladder, saying, as he descended, "Mr Yerk, I shall be happy to see you and your boat's crew at supper, or rather to a late dinner, at eight o'clock; but come down a moment as you are. Tailtackle, bring the gigs into the cabin to get a glass of grog, will you?" "Ay, ay, sir," responded Timothy.
"Zounds," cried Jigmaree, "there's the clink of hammers they are knocking off the fetters of the slaves." "If you let the blacks loose," I sung out in Spanish, "by the Heaven above us, I will blow you up, although I should go with you! Hold your hands, Spaniards! Mind what you do, madmen!" "On with the hatches, men," shouted Tailtackle.
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