Tim had been stationed forward to keep a look-out, and Owen had hailed him every now and then to ascertain that he was awake. He had not done so, however, for some time, and was on the point of crying out, when Tim exclaimed, “By the powers, captin, there’s a big ship ahead!”
“Lower the sail!” exclaimed Owen. “Dan and Pompey, out with your paddles.”
They started up at hearing their names called, and obeyed the order.
“Paddle for your lives, lads!” cried Owen, keeping the canoe to the eastward.
Tim was not mistaken. The wide-spread canvas of a large ship was seen towering upwards not half a mile away; in a few minutes more she would have been close to the canoe. Owen and his companions watched her anxiously; there could be little doubt that she was the Ouzel Galley. Although she was clearly seen, they might hope to escape observation. They continued, however, paddling away at right angles to her course till they were well abreast of her, when Owen once more put the canoe’s head to the southward; but not, however, till she was out of sight did he venture again to hoist the sail. The danger he had chiefly feared was past. It would take her probably a day or two before she could reach the harbour and discover their flight, and they might hope thus to keep well ahead of any boat sent in pursuit of them.
Two days more they stood on. One passed by very like the other. The wind remained steady, the sea smooth.
On the fourth day, some time after sunrise, a sail was seen ahead. Had not they all felt sure that the ship they had passed was the Ouzel Galley, they would have avoided her. Although prepared, if necessary, to perform the whole voyage to Jamaica, Owen judged that it would be far safer to get on board the first ship they could fall in with. He resolved, therefore, to approach her, and should she prove to be English, to run alongside. He little doubted that, even should she be French or Spanish, on their giving an account of their escape from the pirates, they would be treated with humanity. He accordingly steered towards her.
“Hurrah!” cried Dan. “She’s a frind, she’s a frind—for, there, up goes the English flag.”
His quick eye had seen the character of the bunting as it ascended in a ball to the peak, even before it blew out to the breeze.
As the canoe approached, the ship hove to, and in a few minutes the party of fugitives were alongside. Owen was quickly on deck, when the first person he encountered was Gerald Tracy. Exclamations of surprise burst from their lips, and Owen was soon shaking hands with Norman Foley and the rest of the Champion’s officers. His companions had followed him, Pompey shoving up old Mammy with his shoulder, while Dan hauled away at her from above. Numerous questions were put to Owen as to where he had come from, and he had to answer them before he could ask others in return.