Matters began to look serious, it really appearing as if the beggars were going to follow us all the way up the China Sea until they had an opportunity of attacking us when there was no chance of any other vessel being near!
“Let us stand towards them, Mackay and see what they’re made of—eh?” said Captain Gillespie, after squinting away at the two craft behind us. “I’m hanged if I like being dodged in this way.”
“With all my heart, sir,” replied the other. “But, I’m afraid, as they’re well up in the wind’s eye they can easily keep out of our reach if they don’t want us to approach too near them.”
“We’ll try it at any rate,” grunted out “Old Jock,” sniffing and snorting, as he always did when vexed or put out. “Stand by to ’bout ship!”
The watch at once ran to their respective stations, Tom Jerrold and I with a couple of others attending to the cross-jack yard.
“All ready forrud?”
“Aye, aye, sorr,” shouted back Tim Rooney from the forecastle, “all ready forrud.”
“Helms a-lee!”
The head sheets were let go as the captain roared out this order, the jib flattening as the vessel went into stays.
“Raise tacks and sheets!” cried Captain Gillespie, when the foretack and main-sheets were cast off just as his next command came—“Main-sail haul!”