“Lie to there, till we send a boat on board, or we’ll blow you out of the water.”
A chorus of laughter came from quarter-deck and waist.
“Fire!” I cried.
Bang, bang, went both pistols at once.
“Hullo!” cried Mattie; “Hullo!”
And at the same moment, seeing she had the halyards in her hand, I looked aloft just in time to see a little black bundle expand into a huge flag, and lo! fluttering out in the morning air was the dark dread ensign of the pirate, with its hideous skull and cross-bones.
“Hullo!” cried Mattie once more.
But Jill and I stood aghast!
Then our dream rushed back to our minds.
We did not foul the flag-ship, and were soon rolling away out seawards. But what had we done? It was dreadful to think of—hoisted the pirate flag and fired upon one of her Majesty’s flags, right into the teeth of her officers and crew.