Continued by Midshipman Ford
"What shall we do?" I whispered to Scroggs. "Go down and have a look at her?"
"Beggin' your pardon, sir, you'll just keep straight on, and edge a bit more up in the wind, if she'll do it. Once you've got the wind, sir, and can keep it, you can do about what you like; keep away if you want to, run down to her if you want to, and she'll have to do what you want her to, and when you want her to."
Then I remembered reading all about fights in the old time, and when we were in the Britannia, and learnt about actions in the old sailing days, how each side always tried to get to wind'ard first, before fighting, and that the man who was to wind'ard could fight or not just as he pleased. I'd never thought much of it before, but now that Scroggs had put it so plainly, I saw, all at once, how practically everything depended on having the wind'ard position.
"How about giving her the mainsail?" I asked Scroggs. "She's gaining very fast."
"She's doing all right, sir! We doesn't want to run away. Just you edge up a bit more in the wind and wait for her. Time enough for the mains'l if she be a pirate, and we have to chase her."
So we edged up into the wind again and began to stand out to sea, beyond the island.
I pointed that out to Scroggs—I felt fearfully excited and nervous.
"That's all right, sir, never mind about the island; you'll be getting her out in the open, and she'll think you're just trying to give her a wide berth." Then I remembered Dicky, and shouted through the little sliding door for him to come and see the fun. He scrambled up on the poop, rubbing his eyes, and we both stood looking at her, feeling frightened because she looked so big and came on so like a ghost, and didn't notice that we were getting wet through. I did wish then that the Ringdove was in sight.
"How about letting the hands have food, sir? Maybe, if we've luck, we're like to be busy later on, sir!"