Captain Avery was standing at the mainmast, and he had just touched off a rocket that went fizzing up to its bursting place.
"I wonder who'll see it," thought Guert.
Far away in the deepening gloom to leeward, at that moment, the first lieutenant of the Tigress, watching upon her quarter-deck, exclaimed:—
"Captain! One more of our cruisers! She'll come within hail before long. That's it! I hope we're going to be relieved. I'm sick and tired of this West India station."
"So am I!" said the captain, heartily. "Reply to that signal. Give 'em our own number. Draw 'em this way."
His signal officer responded promptly, and more than one rocket went up from the Tigress. Her commander was much chagrined, however, for he received no response to give him the information he expected of the character of the newcomer.
Moreover, as far away from the Noank as he was, but in a directly opposite line, to windward, at the same time, the English skipper of a fine, bark-rigged merchantman, just out from Porto Rico, felt exceedingly gratified. She was a craft of which Captain Avery had no knowledge whatever up to that moment.
"Hey!" shouted the skipper. "See that? One more of our cruisers close at hand, beside the one away off to looard. I'll send up a light to let 'em know where we are."
Captain Avery had not really asked so much of him, but that was precisely what his unnecessary rocket did.
"Lyme!" exclaimed Sam Prentice, as the shining stars fell out of the flying firework from the bark. "I declare! They told us that feller wouldn't sail for three days yet, and there he is. He's goin' to be our surest take, Captain."