Left to herself, the innocent girl gave vent again to her tears; but she had not now any opportunity to indulge her feelings, for she was soon aroused from her sorrow by the re-appearance of the priest who invited her to go on deck.
They went up together.
The long schooner was now lying on the waves like some fish, that had concentrated its strength for a dart, waiting for its prey. She rose and sank with the waves, as she lay to the wind, like something that a more powerful hand than that of man had made to inhabit the element on which she so familiarly floated.
The usual silence reigned; every man of the watch stood mute and motionless at his station; the captain himself stood by the steersman with his arms folded across his breast.
The schooner had been thrown in the wind, to wait for the prize ship which was still at a considerable distance, but which was approaching fast under the press of her extensive sails.
She was, as we have said before, a fast sailer, but few vessels could keep up with the Black Schooner.
When the two vessels had set sail together from that part where they had remained since the fight and the capture, it was found necessary to reduce from time to time the sails of the schooner that the ship might be always kept within sight. Notwithstanding this, however, the former had imperceptibly outreached and distanced the latter, and it was now found necessary to put her in the wind, in order to allow time for the ship to come up.
Notwithstanding the information that they would be landed that day, the priest and Agnes could not see any preparations which might indicate such a thing. Far, however, to the east, land might be seen, high and blue, and like a passing cloud in the fleecy atmosphere of the tropics; still no boats were as yet got ready, and not an order was given. In course of time the ship drew nearer and nearer, until she had arrived within but a few yards of the schooner, when she was brought up heavily to the wind; her heavy canvass flapped, the waves broke on her huge bows, and she lay like a sluggish whale.
A boat was launched from the schooner and was despatched with a number of men on board the ship. After the lapse of a few moments, the cutter of the ship was launched, and was forthwith rigged out, and the sails were quickly bent. When this was done she was sailed up to the schooner, where provision to last for three days was put into her, and she stood ready for sea.