Norah would have far rather remained in the cabin, but, as she dreaded being left alone, she agreed to accompany her father and Captain O’Brien. The pirate bowed as she appeared, and placed a seat for her on the poop, inquiring simply whether she had been supplied with everything she required. She briefly thanked him, and turned aside her head to avoid the gaze of the ruffianly crew, as they moved towards the after-part of the deck in the prosecution of their various duties. O’Harrall merely nodded to the two old captains, who stood by her side. The wind was baffling, and he was continually engaged in trimming sails, so that he was prevented for some time from again addressing her.
The Ouzel Galley had now got into a more open part of the sea, though neither of the old captains could tell exactly where they were. Again the wind became steady, and O’Harrall was coming up, apparently to speak to Norah, when the look-out from the mast-head shouted, “A sail on the starboard quarter!”
One of the chief officers was immediately sent aloft. On coming down, he reported the stranger to be a large ship running free.
“Does she look like a merchantman?” inquired O’Harrall.
“Much more like a man-of-war, judging by the cut of her canvas,” was the answer, in a low voice.
“Perhaps she will take no notice of us,” remarked O’Harrall. “It will be time enough if she gives chase to make sail; but it would only be drawing her attention towards us, if we were to do so now.”
Captain Tracy overheard these remarks, but endeavoured to look as unconcerned as possible, though, as may be supposed, he earnestly hoped that the officer’s surmise was correct, and that the stranger would endeavour to overhaul them.
The pirate continued to walk the deck, every now and then turning his glass in the direction the stranger had been seen, while the officer again went aloft. Presently he hurriedly came down and spoke a few words to the pirate captain, who instantly issued orders to the crew to make all sail.
Royals were set, and even lighter sails above them. The studding-sails were rigged out, and various strange-shaped sails were set between the masts and above and below the bowsprit. The studding-sails, however, were quickly taken in again, as the wind was too much abeam to enable them to be carried.
Captain Tracy managed, whenever the pirate’s glance was turned the other way, to take a look over the quarter, and soon had the satisfaction of seeing the lofty sails of a large ship appearing above the horizon. It was pretty evident that the stranger was suspicious of the character of the Ouzel Galley, and was coming in chase of her.