“They must have murdered them all,” cried Gerald, bending down his head upon the palms of his hands. “I cannot bear to think of it, for I am sure that Owen Massey would not have yielded without a desperate struggle.”
“Well, Tracy, we have all our trials to bear. Cheer up, cheer up, matters may not be so bad as you suppose,” said Mr Tarwig in a soothing tone. Rough as was his exterior, he was a true kind-hearted man at bottom.
The two vessels were soon lost to sight in the darkness, which rapidly came on. Still the guns could be heard, showing that the chase had not yet yielded, and was, as before, endeavouring to make her escape. First they were fired only at intervals, as either one or the other could bring her bow or stern-chasers to bear on her antagonist; just as the boats reached the shore the booming sounds came with far greater rapidity, as if both were firing their broadsides.
“The pirate has brought the chase to action,” exclaimed Mr Tarwig. “May Heaven protect the right! The merchantman has done her best to escape, and small blame to her. She will now, I doubt not, fight to the last, and may, I hope, beat off the enemy.”
The whole party, on landing, stood listening to the sound of the guns, trying to judge how the fight was going. Broadside after broadside was exchanged for the space of nearly half an hour; then suddenly the firing ceased.
“Can the merchantman have beaten off the pirate?” said Gerald to the first lieutenant. “Do you think she has, sir?”
“I much doubt it,” was the answer. “What do you say, master?”
“I believe that the pirate has taken the merchantman,” replied Mr Billhook. “Those buccaneering fellows will stick to their prey like leeches. They had made up their mind that she would prove a rich prize, and were determined to have her.”
Most of the party agreed with the master, and few felt otherwise than sad at the thought of the fate which had probably overtaken the crew of the merchant vessel.
They returned to the fort.