A Pirate of the Caribbees | Page 3

more stirred, the great spaces of canvas beneath me
swelled sluggishly out with a small pattering of reef-points from the
three topsails, and a gentle creak of truss and parrel, as the strain of the
filling canvas came upon the yards; and I saw the brightening disc of
the sun begin to sweep round until it bore broad upon our larboard
quarter. Then some sharp words of command from the poop, in Mr
Hennesey's well-known tones,--dulcet as those of a bullfrog with a bad
cold,--came floating up to me, followed by the shrill notes of the
boatswain's pipe and his hoarse bellow of, "Hands make sail!" A few
minutes of orderly confusion down on deck and on the yards below me
now ensued, and when it ceased the Althea was running square away
before the languid but slowly strengthening breeze, with studding-sails
set on both sides.
Meanwhile the log was gradually clearing, for it was now possible to
see to a distance of fully three lengths of the ship on either hand, before
the curling and sweeping wreaths of vapour shut out the tiny dancing
ripples that seemed to be merrily racing the ship to port and starboard.
Occasionally a break or clear space in the fog-bank swept down upon
and overtook us, when it would be possible to see for a distance of a
quarter of a mile for a few seconds; then it would thicken again and be
as blinding as ever. But every break that came was wider than the one
that preceded it, showing that the windward edge of the bank was
rapidly drawing down after us; and as these breaks occurred
indifferently on either side of, or sometimes on both sides at once, with
now and then a clear space right astern to give a spice of variety to the

proceedings, my eyes, as may be guessed, were kept pretty busy.
At length an opening, very considerably wider than any that had thus
far reached us, came sweeping down upon our starboard quarter, and as
I peered into it, endeavouring to pierce the veil of fog that formed its
farther extremity, I suddenly became aware of a vague shape
indistinctly perceptible through the intervening wreaths of mist that
were now sweeping rapidly along before the steadily freshening breeze.
I saw it but during the wink of an eyelid, when it was shut in again, but
I knew at once what it was; it could be but one thing--a ship, and I
forthwith hailed--
"On deck, there! there's a strange sail about a mile distant, sir, broad on
our starboard quarter!"
"Thank you, Mr Courtenay," promptly responded the "second."
"What do you make her out to be?"
"It is impossible at present to say anything definite about her, sir," I
answered. "I saw her but for a second, and then only very indistinctly,
but she loomed up through the fog like a craft of about our own size."
"Very well, sir," answered Hennesey; "stay where you are, and keep a
sharp lookout for her next appearance."
Once more I returned the stereotyped, "Ay, ay, sir!" as I sent my
glances searching round the ship for further openings. The next that
overtook us swept down upon our port quarter; it was fully a mile and a
half wide, and when it bore about four points abaft the beam another
shape slid into it, not vague and shadowy this time, as the other shape
had been, but clearly distinct--a frigate, unmistakably, under a similar
spread of canvas to our own, and as nearly as possible our own size. So
close indeed was the resemblance that for a second or two I was
disposed to fancy that by some strange trick of light and reflection the
fog was treating me to a picture of the old Althea herself, but a more
steadfast scrutiny soon dispelled the illusion. There were certain
unmistakable points of difference between this second apparition and

ourselves, some of which were so strongly characteristic that I at once
set her down as a French frigate.
The plot was thickening, and it was not wholly without a certain feeling
of exhilaration that I again hailed the deck--
"A frigate broad on our port quarter, sir, with a very Frenchified look
about her!"
"Thank you again, Mr Courtenay," answered Hennesey, with an
unmistakable ring of delight in his jovial Irish accent, which, by the
way, had a trick of growing more pronounced under the influence of
excitement. "Ah, true for you, there she is," he continued, "I have her!
Mr Hudson, have the kindness to jump below and fetch me my glass,
will ye, and look alive, you shmall anatomy!"
A gentle ripple of subdued laughter from the forecastle at this sally of
our genial "second" floated up to me