I'm certain that I wasn't frightened then, for I thought more of the mast than myself, and knew what a bad "egg" it would have been if the shot hadn't missed it.
I looked at Scroggs.
"Give 'em one, sir! Give 'em one!" he was beaming all over his face; "we can 'ardly miss 'er, sir."
I shouted for the six-pounder to open fire, but the mainsail was in the way, and they couldn't get the sights on.
"Gun won't bear, sir," the captain of the gun shouted, and I jumped for'ard to see for myself that he was right.
"What shall I do now?" I asked Scroggs, and felt stupid, and could just see the pirate junk paying off again to give us her other broadside.
She seemed so close that there wasn't time to think.
"Put your helm down and come into the wind yourself, sir."
I shouted to Dicky to do so, and the Sally came up all shaking.
"Now you've got her," Scroggs said, and as he spoke the junk shot off her starboard guns, and we could hear them yelling and beating tom-toms. There was too much to do this time to "duck", and besides, they had fallen astern by luffing and then paying off again, so their shots didn't come so close.