Part 84 (1/2)
”Why?” said Vince ”Jacques daren't resist the King's men”
The cook chuckled ”You wait and see,” he said ”Look at hi by the steersman, with a draord in one hand and pistols in his belt, hardly see for the schooner and the other for the _Belle-Marie_
”Pilot seesback So would I if I could I say, young 'uns, you'd better go below, hadn't you?”
”No,” said Vince sharply ”You won't, will you, Ladle?”
”No: I want to see,” replied Mike; and they stood and watched the rapidly approaching boat, with the smartly unifor the water sparkle as they sent the trihed the cook softly; and the boys were about to turn and ask him what he ht their attention, while a wave of his handto their feet
The cutter's boat was still fifty yards ahen a sudden puff of wind struck the lugger, her heavy canvas filled out, and she began instantly to yield to the pressure, gliding softly through the water, and putting fifty yards ain, and the officer in the boat stood up and shouted to Jacques to lower sail, while hisnearer and nearer
”Do you hear?” yelled the officer: ”let go everything, you scoundrel!”
But Jacques gave no order, and when the boat ithin twenty yards he was about to n to his er, and away she went, showing herqualities, for in a few minutes the boat was far behind, when there was a put from the cutter's side, but not to send a ball across their bows, for before the report reached the boys' ears a peculiar sound cah the mainsail
”Noe're in for it,” said the cook; and another report rang out, but this shot was at the schooner, which was gliding rapidly away, taking a different course froun
Both boats gave up now, for the wind had caught the cutter onceup to theot both her boats on board, but she was paying attentions to lugger and schooner all the ti steadily shot after shot at each, till the schooner tacked out to get round the southern point of the island; and then, as the cutter crowded on all sail, her bow guns were both trier, and shot after shot ca overhead
It was nervous work at first, but after the first few shots the excitement took away all sense of fear, and the two boys watched the effect of the balls, as now and then one tore through the rigging
The schooner was going at a tremendous rate, and her escape seemed certain; so the lieutenant in coer, which sailed rapidly on, first overtaking Joe Daygo's boat, which lay half athe cutter behind
Twice over the Frenchuns turned ready for a shot at his pursuer; but the lugger was going so swiftly that there was no need to use them to try and cripple the cutter's sails, and soupon His Majesty's shi+p Hence the hot irons reency, one which was not long in coreat, even for so reckless a liding rapidly by the island, and edging off so that they would soon be leaving it behind, the coed at the apparently certain escape of the expected prize, and disappointed by the trifling da, suddenly changed his tactics, and a shot struck the starboard bulwark, splintering it for a dozen feet along, and sending the pieces flying
This roused the captain's wrath, and, giving a sharp order, he went to one of the guns, pointing it hialley where the boys were standing
”Now, cookie,” he cried--”reg'lar hot 'un!” and he whisked a white-hot bar froo below”
He ran aft with the bar, scintillating faintly in the sunlight, and handed it to the captain, who bent down once more to take aim, when--_crash_!--a shot struck the stern betind and water, after ricocheting along the surface The next instant they saw a brilliant flash, heard a roar as of thunder; and as a dense cloud of sap in the deck on the starboard side close to the cabin-hatch, and the boys grasped the fact instantly that the lugger's little powder hast at thefor the boats, the mizen-mast with its heavy sail slowly dropped over the side and lay upon the water, with the effect that it acted like a rudder, and drew the unfortunate vessel round, head to wind
The disorder a the crew only lasted a few iving his orders and thedown, my lads,” he cried; ”ze fire all come upvard
You need not take to ze boats, for ze cutter vould follow and take you
Zere: ze gaood? You see _La Belle-Marie_ can do no ht?”
”If you like, skipper,” said the mate quietly; ”but if we do the cutter will only stand off a bit and sink us We couldn't get away”
”_Non_” said Jacques: ”luck is against us zis tio lose your life for nossing