“And come to look at the thing right between the eyes,” spoke the mate, “I don’t think that was Captain Hutchins or any of his people that hailed us. It was a strange voice to me.”
This seemed to settle the matter in the captain’s mind, and whirling about he gave quick, sharp orders to get the vessel into the wind. But he was too late. The Island Queen still hung, when the smart shallop drew alongside.
“Ahoy,” shouted a voice from the latter’s deck. “Take care there; you’ll be afoul of us.”
“Then sheer off,” yelled the schooner’s captain.
“Sheer off, I tell you,” bellowed the frightened captain of the schooner, “or I’ll run you down!”
“Lay that old tub to, or I’ll send a couple of musket shot into your hide,” shouted the voice threateningly.
“He’ll be aboard of us in a minute,” cried the captain.
“Have you any arms on board?” asked Ethan quietly, as he looked to the priming of his pistols and slipped his sword in and out of the scabbard to assure himself that it was free.
“A couple of cutlasses and pikes,” said the skipper; “and a brace of pistols in the cabin.”
“Then get them on deck if ye love me,” cried Longsword. “These are a couple of stout looking lads ye have here, and wid a few feet of cold steel in their fists they ought to do good work.”
As the sides of the two vessels ground together the weapons were produced. Ethan and the Irish dragoon stationed themselves in the waist, the mate took two men armed with long handled pikes into the bow, while the captain and three others were left to defend the after deck.
No sooner had they reached these positions overlooking the shallop than a grapple was thrown aboard and fastened the two craft together.
“Bad luck to him for an impudent villain,” growled Longsword, “but he goes about it in workmanlike style.”
“It’s not the first ship he’s cut out, whoever he is,” answered Ethan.
“Steady,” grumbled the low-pitched voice of the swordsman. “Here they come, me jewel!”
The waist was the point at which it was chosen to board the schooner. A sharp snapping of pistols that spat redly through the darkness preceded the rush. Then a dozen active figures swarmed up the sides of the Island Queen, cutlass and pistol in hand. But bold as they appeared to be it is doubtful if they would have made the attempt had they known what awaited them upon the schooner’s deck.