I heard him distinctly sing out, after ordering
them to haul upon the spring on his cable, "Now, men, I need not tell
you to fight bravely, for if you are taken every devil of you will be
hanged, so hoist away the signal," and a small black ball flew up
through the rigging, until it reached the main topgallant--masthead of
the schooner, where it hung a moment, and in the next blew out in a
large black swallow--tailed flag, like a commodore's broad pennant.
"Now," shrieked he, "let me see who dares give in with this voucher for
his honesty flying aloft!" I twisted and craned myself out of the
window, to get a view of what--was going on elsewhere; however, I could
see nothing but Obed's large schooner from it, all the other craft were
out of the range of my eye, being hid by the projecting roof of the
shed. The noise continued--the shouting rose higher than ever--the
other schooners opened their fire, both cannon and musketry; and from
the increasing vehemence of the Spanish exclamations, and the cheering
on board Obed's vessels, I concluded the attacking party were having the
worst of it. My dog Sneezer now came jumping and scrambling up the trap
stair, his paws slipping between the bars at every step, his mouth wide
open, and his tongue hanging out, while he barked, and yelled, and
gasped to get at me, as if his life depended on it. After him I could
see the round woolly pate of Peter Mangrove, Esquire, as excited
apparently as the dog, and as anxious to get up; but they got jammed
together in the small hatch, and stuck there, man and beast.
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