Small enough chance had his voice of reaching her, the wind being
dead contrary: and yet for the moment it looked as if the two
officers aft had heard; for they both stepped to the ship's side, and
one put up a telescope and handed it to the other. And still the
crew of the gig, staring over their shoulders while they pulled
weakly, could see the men by the capstan standing motionless and
waiting for orders.
"Seems a'most as if they were expectin' somebody," says Pengelly with
a sudden hopefulness: and with that Treleaven, that was pulling
stroke, casts his eyes over his right shoulder and gives a gasp.
"Good Lord, look!" says he. "The tender!"
And sure enough, out of the thick weather rolling up away over
Bovisand they spied now a Service cutter bearing across close-hauled,
leaning under her big tops'l and knocking up the water like
ginger-beer with the stress of it. When first sighted she couldn't
have been much more than a mile distant, and, pull as they did with
the remains of their strength, she crossed their bows a good
half-mile ahead, taking in tops'l as she fetched near the frigate.
"Use your eyes--oh, use your eyes!" called out Pengelly: but no soul
could they see on her besides two or three of the crew forward and a
little officer standing aft beside the helmsman.
Pages:
225
226
227
228
229
230
231
232
233
234
235
236
237
238
239
240
241
242
243
244
245
246
247
248
249