"I say, Obed, the felucca did not carry more than one gun when I saw
her, and she has had no time to load and fire again."
He did not answer a word, but continued, with a piece of guana on the
end of, his fork in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other, as if he
had been touched by the wand of a magician. Presently we heard one or
two dropping shots, quickly thickening into a rattle of musketry. He
threw down his food, picked up his hat, and trundled down stairs, as if
the devil had kicked him. "Pedro, que hay?" I could hear him say to
some one below, who appeared to have arrived in great haste, for he
gasped for breath.
"Aqui viene la feluca," answered Pedro; "perseguido por dos Lanchas
Canoneras llenas de Gente."
"Abordo entonces, abordo todo el mundo; arma arma, aqui vienen los
Engleses; arma, arma!"
And all from that instant was a regular hillabaloo. The drums on board
the schooners beat to quarters, a great bell, formerly the ornament of
some goodly ship, no doubt, which had been slung in the fork of a tree,
clanged away at a furious rate, the crews were hurrying to and fro,
shouting to each other in Creole Spanish, and Yankee English, while
every cannon--shot from the felucca or the boat guns came louder and
louder, and the small arms peppered away sharper and sharper. The
shouts of the men engaged, both friends and foes, were now heard, and I
could hear Obed's voice on board the largest schooner, which lay full in
view from my window, giving orders, not only to his own crew, but to
those of the others.
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