The Young Llanero | Page 4

schooner, the Flying Fish, Captain Longswill, bound for the
coast of Venezuela. She was a fast, rakish craft, carrying four long guns,
and a parti-coloured crew of determined-looking fellows. Soon after we
got on board, she made sail out of the harbour and stood away for her
destination.
"You should know how to load and work a gun," said my Uncle Denis
to me, after we had got clear of the land; "you may some day have to
use one in earnest."
I, of course, was perfectly ready to be instructed; and the captain
directing three of the crew to assist us, we cast the gun loose, loaded it,
and fired it off. This we did several times, Uncle Denis desiring me to

watch carefully how each movement was made. I worked away with
him till my arms and back ached. By that time I began to feel myself an
accomplished gunner. We then ran in the gun and secured it.
We performed the same operation the next day, the whole crew being
also exercised at the guns. We then took a turn at rifle-shooting and
sword-exercise.
The Flying Fish had a full and valuable cargo of merchandise which
was worth protecting; and as pirates at that time swarmed in those seas,
it was important to be able to beat them off, though few would have
dared to attack so stout a vessel as our schooner.
We were frequently becalmed, but in about a week we sighted the lofty
summits of the eastern range of the mighty Cordilleras, which sweeps
round along the northern coast of that portion of South America. As we
drew nearer, the view was indeed grand and sublime, some of the
mountains being of so great a height as to be at all times covered with
snow; while their bases, adorned with the finest trees and shrubs, are
clothed with perpetual verdure. We were expecting to get in close
enough the next day to land part of our cargo, when a perfect calm
came on, and the sun went down in a blaze of glory, shedding a golden
hue over the sky, reflected in the glass-like ocean.
The next morning, as I was about to turn out, I heard several persons
come into the cabin, and found that they were taking down the arms
arranged against the after bulkhead. My uncle was placing a brace of
pistols in his belt and girding on a sword.
On my asking what was the matter. "You'll know presently," he
answered. "Arm yourself as I have done;" and he hurried from the
cabin.
I quickly dressed, and doing as he directed me, followed him on deck. I
there found the guns cast loose, and the crew at their quarters; and on
looking out astern I saw a large vessel, a man-of-war corvette, under all
sail, standing towards us. The wind was scarcely strong enough to blow
out her canvas, while we were still becalmed, but she was apparently

bringing up the breeze with her; while between us and her were two
large boats full of men, approaching evidently with the intention of
boarding us. The headmost fired a shot at the schooner--to try the range,
I suppose--but it fell short.
"What can that vessel want with us?" I asked of my uncle. "We are not
now at war with any country, and she looks too large a ship to be a
pirate."
"She is a Spanish man-of-war," he answered. "She takes us to belong to
the Republicans, and, though we have shown English colours, wishes
to overhaul us."
"But if the Spaniards were to come on board, what harm could they do
us?" I asked.
"They might find articles they would object to among the cargo; and
the captain has no wish to have the vessel searched," he answered.
Uncle Denis was perfectly composed, and seemed to take the matter as
nothing unusual. I felt as I had never felt before, for I fully expected
before many minutes were over to be engaged in a desperate fight.
The schooner had all her sails set, though at present they were useless;
but on looking over the side I observed cat's-paws playing on the
surface of the ocean. Now they appeared, now they vanished, but as yet
we had not felt the slightest breath of wind. Presently, however, I saw
the dog-vane rise and flutter slightly; again it drooped.
The corvette meantime was stealing up, and the boats were getting
nearer and nearer. A shot from the headmost one could now have
reached us, but she appeared to be waiting for the other to get up with
her. Captain Longswill every now and then took a glance astern to
watch them. Suddenly, in a cheery voice, he ordered the crew to trim
sails, and