“Didn’t I say they were pirates?” exclaimed Mr. Triggs in an excited tone of voice. “This proves it. There is no need to be on deck to watch their villanous deeds, for ’tis all as plain as a pikestaff. We’ve run alongside some merchant vessel, and these precious scamps are going to board and take possession of her.”
I clung to the hope that the other vessel was the attacking one, and might prove to be a Spanish man-of-war or revenue boat; but I could not help feeling that the gunner was most likely correct in his conjecture.
Without doubt we were in the hands of lawless, bloodthirsty pirates.
A brisk fire of musketry was being kept up, and now and again I distinguished the sharp crack of pistols and the clash of steel. The shouts and yells of the contending parties were indescribable, so prolonged and violent were they. The fight was evidently a desperate one.
The grinding and buffeting noise still continued as if the two vessels were lashed to each other pending the issue of the conflict. We listened intently for every sound, exchanging remarks now and again in awestruck, subdued whispers.
At times we thought we could distinguish the voice of the chief ringing out like a brazen trumpet, as he directed the operations of his followers. To my surprise, no guns were fired from the upper deck, although, in my hasty glance around, when I was carried on board, I had noticed that the brig was provided with some sort of armament.
Presently the shouts and yells of the combatants grew fainter, as also did the rolling reports of the musketry and the sharp, spiteful cracks of the death-dealing pistols.
“The pirates have boarded ’em, poor chaps,” said the gunner; “there can be no doubt about that. The fight is being carried on aboard t’other craft now.”
“God help ’em if they gets the worst of it, poor chaps!” said Ned; “I don’t believe they’d get quarter from men like Miguel and his mates.”
At this moment a piercing shriek rent the air, followed by a dead silence which lasted for some seconds. Then we heard loud hails, apparently from a distance, and answering shouts from some one on board our brig. This was immediately followed by some orders given in a piercing voice by an officer on deck.