One
shot struck the schooner to windward in the bow, a foot or two above
the water level. Another went through her foresail, close to the mast.
"A foot more, and you would have cut his foremast asunder."
The vessel to leeward had been struck by only one shot, the other
passing under her stern. She was struck just above her deck line, the
shot passing through the bulwark, and, as they thought on board the
merchantman, narrowly missing if not actually striking the mainmast.
"There is some damage done," Dr. Rae said, keeping his glass fixed on
the vessel. "There is a good deal of running about on deck there."
It was evident that the display of the heavy metal carried by the
Indiaman was an unpleasant surprise to the privateers. Both lowered
sail and ceased firing, and there was then a rapid exchange of signals
between them.
"They don't like it," the captain said, laughing. "They see that they
cannot play the game they expected, and that they've got to take as
well as to give. Now it depends upon the sort of stuff their captains
are made of, whether they give it up at once, or come straight up to
close quarters.
"Ah! They mean fighting."
As he spoke, a cloud of canvas was spread upon the schooners and,
sailing more than two feet to the merchantman's one, they ran quickly
down towards her, firing rapidly as they came.
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