“Matthews,” said Mr Flinn, “take a blue-light from the launch into the fore-top and burn it.”
In less than a minute the glare of the blue-light illumined the scene with a ghastly radiance; and there, about a quarter of a mile distant, was the ship under way, standing to the northward and westward under jib and spanker, with her topsails just let fall ready for sheeting home.
“Oh, ho! Is it that you’re afther thin, me foine fellow?” exclaimed Flinn, who always dropped into his native brogue under the influence of excitement. “By the powers but we’ll soon sthop that little game. Fore-top there! That’ll do with the blue-light. Jump on the topsail-yard and cast off the gaskets. Lay out and loose the jib and fore-topmast-staysail, some of you; and Mr Chester, kindly get this mainsail set at once, if you please.”
“All ready with the topsail, sir,” sang out the man aloft.
“Then let fall, and come down, casting loose the foresail as you do so. Sheet home the topsail, lads; that’s well! man the halliards and up with the yard. Hoist away the jib and staysail; fore-sheets over to starboard. One hand to the wheel and put it hard-a-port. Cut the cable, forward there. Round-in upon the starboard braces—ease off your mainsheet, slack it away and let the boom go well out. Now she has stern-way upon her. Capital. Now fill your topsail—smartly, lads!—and haul aft your lee head sheets. Steady your helm. Now she draws ahead. Hard up with the helm. There she pays off! Square the fore-yard; gently with your weather-braces—don’t round-in upon them too quickly. Well there; belay!”
All this had passed almost as quickly as the description can be read, and we were now under way and steering directly after the ship, which had only succeeded in getting her topsails sheeted home and the fore-topsail partially hoisted.
“Is that gun ready forward, Mr Vining?” asked Flinn.
“All ready, sir,” answered Vining.
“Then burn another blue-light and throw a shot over him.”
Up flared once more the ghostly light; the ship, like a vast phantom, loomed out against the black sky directly ahead, and after a momentary pause the sharp report of the brass nine-pounder rang out forward, the flash lighting up the chase for an instant, and bringing every rope, spar, and sail into clear relief, while the sound was repeated right and left by the echoing cliffs of the island astern, and the startled sea-birds wheeled screaming all round us.