Sail opened after sail, and
as the steerage passengers, who could show a force of thirty or forty men,
aided with their strength, the Montauk was soon running dead before the
wind, under every thing that would draw, and with studding-sails on both
sides. The mates looked surprised, the seamen cast inquiring glances aft,
but Mr. Truck lighted a cigar.
"Gentlemen," said the captain, after a few philosophical whiffs, "to go to
America with yonder fellow on my weather beam is quite out of the
question: he would be up with me, and in possession, before ten o'clock,
and my only play is to bring the wind right over the taffrail, where,
luckily, we have got it. I think we can bother him at this sport, for your
sharp bottoms are not as good as your kettle-bottoms in ploughing a full
furrow. As for bearing her canvas, the Montauk will stand it as long as
any ship in King William's navy, before the gale. And on one thing you may
rely; I'll carry you all into Lisbon, before that tobacco-hating rover
shall carry you back to Portsmouth. This is a category to which I
will stick."
This characteristic explanation served to let the passengers understand
the real state of the case. No one remonstrated, for all preferred a race
to being taken; and even the Englishmen on board began again to take sides
with the vessel they were in, and this the more readily, as Captain Truck
freely admitted that their cruiser was too much for him on every tack but
the one he was about to try.
Pages:
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166