There was a quick passing of something white, and then the man almost glided over the bulwarks again into the boat, which fell astern, and those who manned her began to hoist the long lateen sail once more.
“A message from the shore,” whispered Poole excitedly, as he saw his father step into the shelter of one of the boats swinging from the davits, to screen himself from any observant glass on the gunboat’s deck, and there he rapidly tore open a packet and scanned the message that it contained.
“Oh, I should like to know what it says,” whispered Poole, “but I mustn’t ask him. It’s lucky to be old Burgess,” he continued, for the captain walked slowly to his chief officer, who stood sulkily apart as if not paying the slightest heed to what was going on.
The skipper stood speaking to him for about a minute, and the lad saw the heavy-looking mate give a short nod of the head and then turn his eyes upwards towards the white spread sails as they still glided on through the orange glow.
Boom—thud! and Fitz literally jumped; the report, and its echo from the mountain-backed shore, was so sudden and unexpected.
“Blank shot,” said Poole, looking at the white smoke curling up from one of the man-of-war’s small guns.
“Order to heave-to,” said Fitz; “and you will have to, or a ball will come skipping along next.”
“Yes, I suppose so,” said Poole, “across our bows; and if we didn’t stop for that I suppose they would open fire with their big gun. Think they could hit us?”
“I don’t know about them,” said Fitz, rather pompously, “but I know our old Tonans would send you to the bottom with her first shot.”
“Then I’m glad it isn’t the Tonans” said Poole, laughing. “Here, we are not going to be sunk;” for in obedience to the summons the schooner was thrown up into the wind, the big sails shivering in the soft breeze, and gradually turning of a deeper orange glow. Meanwhile there was a bustle going on aboard the gunboat, and an orange cutter manned by orange men glided down into the sea. Then oars began to dip and at every stroke threw up orange and gold. So beautiful was the scene that Fitz turned from it for a moment to look westward for the source of the vivid colouring, and was startled for the moment at the curious effect, for there, balanced as it were on the highest point of the low ridge of mountains at the back of the city, was the huge orange globe that lit up the whole bay right away to sea, and even as he gazed the sun seemed to touch the mountains whose summit marked a great black notch like a cut out of its lower edge.