Twice Lost | Page 7

the preparations the pirates had been making for

their defence, the commander expressed his opinion that they might try
to slip by us and get out to sea during the darkness, rather than wait our
attack in the river. A sharp look-out was therefore kept, the anchor was
hove short, and the watch below lay down on deck, so as to be ready to
make sail at a moment's notice. A boat was also sent some way ahead
to row guard, and bring us early information should either of the
vessels be seen coming down. We knew, of course, that the pirates
were aware of our exact position, but they could not tell that a boat was
also watching for them.
The greater part of the night passed by quietly. The middle watch had
nearly come to an end when the boat's oars were heard, and she shortly
after dashed up alongside. "The ship is coming down, and will be
abreast of us in a few minutes," said the officer in command. "She was
shortening sail when we caught sight of her, and she hopes to escape
being seen by dropping past us under bare poles."
On hearing this, the captain gave the order to make sail; and slipping
our cable with a buoy to it, so that we might easily pick it up, we stood
towards the centre of the river. In another minute we caught sight of the
tall masts of the pirate, gliding down with the current, not many
cable-lengths off. It was impossible for her to return; and should she
bring up, we might sail round her and fire at her at our leisure. On
discovering us (which she must have done some time before, as we,
being under sail, must have been seen before we could make her out),
she had begun to set her canvas. That availed her but little, however, as
we now had her within range of our guns; which, the captain giving the
order, began firing away as rapidly as they could be run in and loaded.
She immediately fired in return from her foremost guns, the only ones
which for some minutes could be brought to bear on us, as we were, it
will be understood, standing across the river directly ahead of her. Her
sails being let fall, she soon got abreast of us; when we went about, and
passing directly under her stern, so closely that I thought we were
going to run her aboard, fired the whole of our broadside into her; we
during the operation having received only two or three shots, which did
no material damage. Shrieks and cries arose from her deck, proving the
fearful havoc produced by our raking fire; while several halyards and

braces having been shot away on board her, and only part of her canvas
having been set, we again kept away, speedily got up alongside her, and
poured in another well-directed broadside. She returned a feeble fire;
many of her crew at the guns having been, we had thus good reason to
suppose, killed or disabled by our shot. We, having all our canvas set,
were running ahead of her, the captain intending to luff across her bows,
and to pour in another raking fire, when we heard a voice from her
forecastle shouting, in broken English, "We give in--we haul down
flag--don't fire, don't fire!"
"Let go your anchor, then, and bring up, or I'll not trust you," shouted
the captain.
The sound of voices in loud altercation now reached us, some
apparently crying out one thing, and some another, in Spanish; while
we were steering so as to keep on the weather bow of the pirate.
"Stand by,--brace up the yards," cried the captain in a loud voice, so
that the Spaniards might hear him. "Do you yield, or I fire?" he
shouted.
"Yes, yes," answered a voice.
Immediately the sheets were let fly, and the splash of the anchor and
the sound of the cable running out reached our ears above the hubbub
still going forward on deck, when the ship slowly swung round to the
current. We immediately hauled our wind, and having good way, went
about and shot up abreast of our opponent, whom we thus had
completely in our power.
As soon as we had furled sails, two boats were lowered; Mr Worthy
going in command of one, and Peter Mudge of the other, the crews
being well-armed. As I was the midshipman of the lieutenant's boat, I
accompanied him.
No opposition was offered, though no assistance was given, to us, as
we got alongside. We quickly, however, scrambled up on deck, which,
by the light of several lanterns carried by the men, presented an

appearance such as I had never before pictured to myself. The