"Ship ahoy!--what ship's that?" rang hoarsely through the
speaking-trumpet from the deck of the Alabama. But no answer came, and
the hail was repeated. Still no answer, the strange sail keeping
steadily on her course, regardless of every thing, her huge hull
towering up high and dark as she passed almost within harpooning
distance of the Alabama, and shot away again into the darkness, like a
phantom that on being spoken to, had vanished away.
But the Alabama could have brought-to the Flying Dutchman himself, if he
had attempted to pass by without answering a hail. "Hands, wear ship!"
was the order before the sound of the second summons had well died away.
Up went the helm, round came the Alabama's head in the direction in
which the stranger had disappeared; and with the reefs shaken out of her
topsails, away she went in chase like a greyhound after a hare.
By the time sail was made, and headway got on the ship, the chase was
some three miles in advance, and gliding swiftly along with a strong
breeze. But though a stern chase is proverbially a long chase, the
splendid sailing qualities of the Alabama soon made themselves felt, and
within three hours after her helm was put up, she was within a few
hundred yards of the stranger, who now hove to at the first summons from
the cruiser's bow-guns.
She proved to be the United States ship Punjaub, of Boston, from
Calcutta for London, and having an English cargo on board, as appeared
from sworn affidavits among the papers, from the nature of the
voyage--from one British port to another--and from the cargo of jute and
linseed, she was released on a ransom bond for 55,000 dollars, the
remaining prisoners from the John Parks being transferred to her for
passage home.
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