"
"But he will never venture to infract the neutrality of the waters
surely," rejoined I, "within sight of the squadron too?"
The gentleman I spoke to smiled incredulously; and as I had nothing
particular to do for a couple of hours, I resolved to remain and see the
issue. In a few minutes, the sea--breeze came thundering down, in half
a gale of wind, singing through the rigging of the ships alongside of
the wharfs, and making the wooden blinds rattle again. The Antonio laid
in her sweeps, spread her canvass in an instant, and was lying--to, off
the fort at Port Royal, to land her pass, in little more than half--an
hour from the time she passed us, a distance of no less than seven
miles, as she had to sail it. In a minute the jib sheet was again
hauled over to leeward, and away she was like an arrow, crowding all
sail. I had seldom seen a vessel so weatherly before. In an hour more,
she was abreast of the town, and abeam of the Josefa, who, from being
cooped up in the narrow inner channel, had, ever since the sea--breeze
set down, been bothering with short tacks, about, and about, every
minute. Presently the Antonio dashed in through a streak of blue water
in the reef, so narrow, that to look at it, I did not think a boat could
have passed, and got between the Josefa and Port Royal, when he took in
his gaff--topsail, and hauled down his flying--jib, but made no hostile
demonstration, beyond keeping dead to leeward, tack for tack with the
Josefa; and once, when the latter seemed about to bear up and run past
him, I noticed the foot of his foresail lift, and his sails shiver as he
came to the wind, as much as to say, "Luff again, my lady, or I'll fire
at you.
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