Twice Lost | Page 4

the belt of thick mist which still hung
over the lower ground, and which would effectually conceal the chase

should she have stood in for the shore.
"Should she be there, we shall soon sight her," observed Mudge. "I
only hope that her rascally crew will have the courage to fight for their
lives and liberty; though there isn't much chance of that."
The lead was kept going, of course, and showed a much greater depth
of water than had been expected. On reference to the chart, the captain
found that we must be approaching the mouth of a large river. The sun
rising, dissipated the mist; and we had got close to the mouth of the
river when the wind fell. Being thus unable to enter it, we were
compelled to bring up at no great distance from the shore. From where
we lay we could see but a very little way up the river, a point of land
covered with trees hiding the next reach, so that the chase might be
there, though invisible to us. The captain accordingly directed the first
lieutenant to pull up in the gig to ascertain if she was there; intending,
if so, to carry the ship into the river whenever the sea-breeze should set
in. As she was a large, well-armed vessel, with a numerous crew, he
was unwilling to risk the loss of his men, at the commencement of a
long voyage, by attacking her with the boats.
The gig was soon hidden behind the point; when the watch below, to
which I belonged, was allowed to lie down in the shade on deck--for,
having been awake all night, we could scarcely keep our eyes open. I
was in an instant asleep; and being roused up again after a snooze of
two hours, I found that the gig had not returned. The captain was
beginning to get anxious, when the look-out from the mast-head, who
could see farther over the point than we could on deck, shouted, "The
gig in sight, and another boat following her."
Some minutes passed, when we saw the gig chased round the point, the
crew pulling with all their might; and the next instant a much larger
boat hove in sight. As she did so, a man standing in the stern-sheets
was seen to lift a musket and fire at the gig: at the same moment an oar
dropped from the hands of one of the crew, who sank down on the
thwart; the gig, however, still coming on. It was a wanton act. The
large boat pulled round, and before we could have brought one of our
guns to bear on her she was again hidden behind the point. The captain,

on seeing the occurrence, ordered the other boats to be got ready,
intending to send them up in chase of the audacious stranger, and they
were in the water before the gig was alongside.
Lieutenant Worthy, on coming on deck, informed the captain that he
had gone up the river for some distance without seeing the chase, when,
just as he had at length caught sight of her topgallant-masts over a
wooded point, a large boat had darted out from behind it; while several
shots fired from the shore warned him of the danger of proceeding
farther. Immediately putting the gig round, he pulled down the river,
seeing that it would be madness to attempt attacking the larger boat
with his small crew.
The daring way in which the large boat had attempted to capture the gig
proved the character of the craft to which she belonged; as also that
either her crew must consider themselves strong enough to resist a
man-of-war, or possibly might suppose that we should not venture into
the river.
In the meantime, the gig with the wounded man had been hoisted up.
He still breathed, and was immediately carried below, and placed under
the care of the surgeon; who, on examining his wound, expressed but
slight hope that he would recover. On hearing this, the crew threatened
the pirates with their vengeance, and were eager to go up the river and
take them.
We now anxiously waited for the sea-breeze. The cable was hove short,
the sails loosed; still, as we looked eastward, not a ripple disturbed the
glass-like surface of the ocean.
"We've got the fellow in a trap, at all events," observed Mudge, "and
fight he must, whether he likes it or not."
"I hope he will," I answered. "I should like to see a good fierce battle;
and there will be little glory in taking the pirate, should she give in at
once."
"You'll sing a different note when you find the shot come flying thickly

about your ears, my boy," answered Mudge; "and as for the glory,
there's