But the other vessel had hoisted up her topgallant sails, and came on apace; and now, being but a cable’s length away, she shot off a gun.
“Come on, ye dogs!” cried Dick. “Fire away, and split!” And he hasted to the poop, where the gunners worked, charging of the stern-chasers.
“Double shot ’em, and cripple her!” said he.
“Ay, ay, sir! ay, ay!” But now the pursuer fired again, and a round-shot crashed into our round-house coach.
“Fire!” and, upon the word, the guns belched forth flame. The report shook the ship, and a cloud of cannon-smoke rolled up like a scroll.
As it cleared, our men roared out with a great cheering; for we had hit the King’s ship full in her fore rigging, split her spritsail, smashed her foreyard, and handsomely mauled the shrouds. The foremast shook with the brunt, and the topsail came clattering down.
Hereupon my brother fell to capering about like a silly schoolboy.
“Well done, master-gunner!” cried he, “well done, my brave! Give him another cheer, my jolly boys! They’ll not take us, this bout!”
CHAPTER II.
FRANCIS DREAMS A DREAM.
We now rapidly left the floundering and mazed man-of-war. But our men kept firing into the medley on her decks, plying the stern-chasers in furious haste; and, ever as he was able, the enemy did shoot at us with muskets and pistols, and once—his ship having slewed right round—gave us a thundering great broadside. But his gunners did much mistake, in that they hulled us (as the saying is), instead of aiming at our masts and tackling, whereby they might have crippled us, and, perhaps, brought us quite to a stand.