“Your brother!”
“Yes, dear mother; he possesses the family peculiarity,” answered James. “However, I shall go and alarm the authorities.”
The magistrates were awakened, the alarm was given at the forts, and the whole town was shortly in commotion. The streets were searched, but no pirates could be found. A body of soldiers was then marched down to the wharf, as the reader already knows.
At early dawn the magistrates went alongside the English man-of-war, and related to the commander what had taken place.
“There is not much mystery about all this, gentlemen,” said the commander, after he had reflected a moment, “I shall promise you, that when it is clear, you will be able to see a long, sharp, and strange-looking schooner in these waters. I have, unfortunately, been made too familiar of late with the boldness of that set of pirates. I am so certain of what I am telling you, that I shall at once give orders for weighing anchor: so that I shall be ready, as soon as it is light, to give chase, and I shall see,” muttered the commander to himself; “if I cannot get to windward of those fellows this time.”
True enough, the pirate schooner was seen in the light of the morning opposite the harbour of Port-of-Spain, but at an immense distance out at sea.
The heavy sails of the large ship then began leisurely to ascend its encumbered masts, in preparation for the chase of the pirate vessel.
CHAPTER XXIX.
“The deed is done.”