The "Dagos" moved quietly away, money in their fists.
"Never heard of a ship on such a chase as ours without some kind of a cannon," explained Norris.
He had seen some old cannon lying useless in an old fortification on shore. He fastened his liking on a brass gun, of not too great size, and 'by hook or by crook,' had made a deal for it—"With the fixin's," as he said. One little wheel of the carriage was broken, but he contrived a temporary prop in its place. He did not rest till he had the brass barrel mounted and lashed up near the bows, and hid under its tarpaulin.
"What are you going to do with that 'barker'?" said Robert.
"First of all," said Norris, "I'm going to polish her up—to decorate the ship. And then, if ever that skunk voodoo gives me an excuse, I'm going to find out what my old training in gunnery has done for me."
The land breeze had been blowing for a long time. Though Captain Marat had his clearing papers all in proper form long ago, we waited till the Orion had got near a good three hours start, before we got up our anchor and set the Pearl's bow out to sea.
It was past midnight, the moon—in its first quarter—was just setting. In half an hour we went about, and made toward the north. Daylight found us rounding the northwest corner of the island.
"How long do you think it will take us to get sight of that skunk's ship?" asked Norris.
"Ah!" mused Captain Marat, "Maybe one day, maybe two."
"And if the Orion is going back home," said Norris, "after she picks up Wayne and Ray, which way will she turn—north and then back, or down around the east end of the island?"