As she approached, we could perceive by the bright moonlight, that she had
six guns of a side, and two long ones on pivots, the one forward on the
forecastle, and the other choke up to the mainmast.
Her deck was crowded with dark figures, pike and cutlass in hand; we were
by this time so near that we could see pistols in their belts, and a
trumpet in the hand of a man who stood in the fore rigging, with his feet
on the hammock netting, and his back against the shrouds. We had cleared
away our six eighteen--pound carronades, which composed our starboard
broadside, and loaded them, each with a round shot, and a bag of two
hundred musket--balls, while three hundred soldiers in their foraging
jackets, and with their loaded muskets in their hands, were lying on the
deck, concealed by the quarters, while the blue jackets were sprawling in
groups round the carronades.
I was lying down beside the gallant old Major, who had a bugler close to
him, while Crowfoot was standing on the gun nearest us; but getting tired
of this recumbent position, I crept aft, until I could see through a spare
port.
"Why don't the rascals fire?" quoth Sawrasp.
"Oh, that would alarm the Commodore. They intend to walk quietly on board
of us; but they will find themselves mistaken a little," whispered
Crowfoot.
"Mind, men, no firing till the bugle sounds," said the Major.
The word was passed along.
The schooner was by this time ploughing through it within half pistolshot,
with the white water dashing away from her bows, and buzzing past her
sides her crew as thick as peas on her deck.
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