“Oh, Captain Burdon of the Drake is adding to his ship’s company,” commented he, evenly. “Well, perhaps he’ll need them.”
“They look like volunteers, by their uniform,” remarked Longsword.
In this the Irish dragoon was right. A Lieutenant William Dobbs had been engaged in recruiting a band for coast defense in the neighborhood of Carrickfergus; he had offered them to Captain Burdon for service upon the Drake at this crisis, and they had been accepted.
The regular ship’s company of the frigate was one hundred and fifty officers and men; she carried two more guns than the Ranger, but they were lighter; and so the vessels were pretty evenly matched.
The Drake finally stood out to sea toward the Ranger; the wind was blowing toward the shore and her progress was rather slow. Captain Jones remarked quietly to Ethan,
“In an hour or less the story will be told. I trust that the Lascar, Siki, is aboard this ship, as Danvers said; for after I take her I should very much like to question him.”
Just then Longsword came aft with a serious look upon his face. Saluting he said,
“Captain dear, there’s a ruction among the men, so there is.”
“What do you mean?” asked the officer quickly.
“I mean that they are growling among themselves like a pack of sullen dogs for’ard, there. It shames me to say it, sir, but I fancy that they have little stomach for the fight.”