Chris, on the bridge beside the Captain, stood looking through his spyglass at the advancing sail. Captain Blizzard lowered his own glass to turn enquiringly to Chris.
"Yes," the boy said at last, "I'm sure now. I ought to know those sails. They're unmistakable. That is the Vulture, sir."
Captain Blizzard wheeled about before the last word had left Chris's lips, and bellowed at the top of his lungs.
"All hands on deck!" he roared. "Man the guns! Bring out the ammunition, and every man to his place!"
The training the men had gone through instantly asserted itself. Although there was a great deal of running about, up and down the ladder to the hold, and of handing up the heavy ammunition, all was orderly, and not an extra word was spoken.
There was little enough time left over, however. The Vulture approached rapidly and then crossed the bow of the Mirabelle so narrowly that the Mirabelle had to put hard about and Captain Blizzard roared orders to take in sail in order not to smash into the pirate vessel before it had been carried by the breeze beyond its prey.
This maneuver by Claggett Chew momentarily threw the Mirabelle's crew into confusion and turned their attention to the hasty management of their ship. To Chris, working with the men at whatever was most urgent, it seemed only an instant before the Vulture was again alongside the Mirabelle, and Claggett Chew stood on the gunwale hailing them.
"Heave-to, or you shall sink to the sharks!" he cried.
"Look to yourself, pirate!" Captain Blizzard thundered in reply, and giving the signal, the unsuspected guns of the Mirabelle belched out their deadly charges.
Claggett Chew was knocked back to the deck of his ship, and Chris had time to see him shake off the hand of a sailor who would have helped him to safety. Chris also saw, peeking out from the doorway of Claggett Chew's cabin, the white horrified face of Osterbridge Hawsey, who "could not stand the sight of blood—so common!" The face withdrew, and Chris could imagine the dandy playing cards or reading as best he could in the din until the battle should be over.