“Ay, the strange sail! You’ll not see her, at all events! The men have made her out only through their glasses! She is miles away! and we shall not overhaul her before morning,” said the captain.
And he set the watch and went below, and turned in for a short nap, leaving Lieutenant Ethel to manage the ship.
Justin stayed on deck a little while longer, and then followed the captain’s example.
But none of them, except the phlegmatic captain, rested very well that night. The thought that they were chasing a privateer, whom they would probably engage in battle next morning, was not likely to rock them to sleep.
Britomarte certainly never closed her eyes; she was awake no less by her own excitement than by the “tireless tongue” of Judith, who talked of nothing but the coming fight and the share she would like to take in it.
“Sure, meself hopes they’ll find something for me to do in it! Troth, if they’d put me to one iv the big guns, I could fire it off wid the best iv them. And if they’d not trust me to do that same, I could hand patridges as well as the powdy monkeys thimselves!”
“Cartridges, Judith,” said Miss Conyers.
“Sure, that’s what I’m maning! And, troth, I’ll find something to do in it, or me name’s not Judy Riordan!”
“I am glad and proud to see so much spirit in a sister woman, Judith, whether you find an opportunity to exercising it or not,” said Miss Conyers.
At which Judith was so delighted that she went off into another fit of boasting more extravagant than the first.