Five minutes passed—no more. I had turned to look at the compass and to glance aloft; and now I leveled the glass afresh.
“They’re after us!” I cried.
In those five minutes they had launched the boat and, as I looked, were hoisting the sail and throwing their oars over. I was mightily startled at first. I had never imagined they’d prove so keen in their guessing; but reflection speedily cooled me, and brought my nerves to their proper bearing.
The boat gained on us slowly. The pace of the brig was about four miles an hour; the boat’s a mile faster than that. Presently I could count the steady pulse of her five oars. I had no fear, but I was very eager to come off with the brig without killing any of those men. The lady Aurora said:
“They’re catching us up.”
“Yes,” said I; “and if they can come within hail they’ll make me a hundred fine promises and entreat me to take them on board; and, a few minutes after they are on board, my corpse will be floating astern—another shocking example of forecastle gratitude. I’m done with ’em,” said I, scarcely supposing while I talked that she wholly understood me; and, putting my hand upon the long brass gun, I moved it until the muzzle was over the boat.
I knew the little fabric was out of range, but I wished the men to see the feather-leap of white water, the flash of the missile, that they might understand I shot with ball; and, having everything to my hand, I bid Miss Aurora step a little aside, and fired. The gun roared in thunder, and belched out a big cloud of smoke. I dodged the smoke to mark the flight of the ball, which hit the water several cables’ lengths this side the boat. If the spurt of it was plain to me, it was plain to them. I put Jimmy to the gun to clean it while I watched the boat. She continued in pursuit; but now, by aid of the glass, I made out something white flying at her masthead—a signal of truce, as though the fellows and I had been at war. Some man must have torn up his shirt to produce that flag; for there were no white handkerchiefs in the longboat, and nothing to answer to what was flying save what one or another carried on his back.
“I want no truce! I want no peace! I want to have nothing whatever to do with you!” I cried, while I went about to load the long gun again.
This time I resolved to load with case as well as round, that the splash might emphasize my hint. I asked Aurora to hold the wheel, and bid Jimmy rush into the cabin and bring up some canister out of the locker. I clapped in some case on top of the ball, took aim, and fired. The brig thrilled to the explosion. I wondered to myself what the imprisoned fellows forward and the two men below would be thinking of this bellowing of artillery.
The ball and musket-shot struck the sea before I saw the splash; the smoke of the gunpowder hung a bit, clouding aft before blowing clear, and I could not spring to the side in time to see. I ordered Jimmy to make ready the gun for loading afresh, being now hot in heart with the noise of the firing and angry, too, with the stubborn pursuit of the devils astern; and I told Miss Aurora that, if they did not shift their helm, I’d blow them out of water.