“A sail to leeward!” shouted the look-out man on the gangway.
“Give me my glass, Loop!” cried the Captain.
“What does she look like, Cap’ain,” inquired Climberkin.
“I see nothin’ yet but a tall spar, pointing pretty sharpish into the sky,” said Hearty. “Now I observe she has her royals set, and has an unkimmon low hull. But take the glass yourself, and see what you can make of her.”
“She’s schooner built, sir, with raking masts, carries a smartish number o’ guns, and is altogether as suspicious looking a craft as ever I seed,” observed the Lieutenant.
“Which way does she steer?” inquired the old man.
“She’s bearin’ right down upon us, sir,” replied Climberkin; “and she means mischief, or I’m pretty considerably mistaken.”
“Call up all hands to quarters—throw open the ports, and let the guns be shotted;” cried the captain. All was immediately bustle and confusion in every part of the Albatross. Fore and aft the men with the utmost alacrity, prepared to give the strange vessel a proper welcome in case of an attack. Muskets, pikes, cutlasses, powder and shot, were handed up from the hold with as much cheerfulness as if the crew were commencing some favourite amusement. The officers were giving their orders, the men busy at their preparations. Some threw off their jackets and tucked up their sleeves to be the more free in their movements. The decks were cleared: all things put away that could be an obstacle at such a time; the guns run out, and every man was at his post ready for action.
The schooner bore down gallantly upon the Albatross, and certainly was a very suspicious-looking vessel. A shot from one of her carronades came booming along without doing any mischief.