"A slaver, and the shot has told, sir," said Mr Handlead, the master.
"Then we shall have some fun for it," thought I. I had scarcely spoken,
when the brig once more shortened sail; and the instant that the
foresail rose, he let fly his bow gun at us--then another, another, and
another.
"Nine guns of a side, as I am a sinner," quoth jigmaree; and three of
the shot struck us, mortally wounded one poor fellow, and damaged poor
little Reefy by a splinter in the side.
"Stand by, men--take good aim--fire"--and we again let drive the long
gun and carronade; but our friend was too quick for us, for by this time
he had once more hauled his wind, and made sail as close to it as he
could stagger. We crowded every thing in chase, but he had the heels of
us, and in an hour he was once more nearly out of sight in the dark
night, right to windward.
"Keep, at him, Mr Jigmaree;" and as I feared he was running us in under
the land, I dived to consult the chart. There, in the cabin, I found
Wagtail, Gelid, and Bang, sitting smoking on each side of the small
table, with some brandy and water before them.
"Ah," quoth Gelid, "ah! fighting a little? Not pleasant in the evening,
certainly."
"Confound you," said Aaron, "why will you bother at this awkward
moment?"
Meanwhile Wagtail was a good deal discomposed.
"My dear fellow, hand me over that deviled biscuit."
Bang handed him over the dish, slipping into it some fragments of ship
biscuit, as hard as flint.
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