Page:The Dark Frigate (Hawes).djvu/227

sheathed, was like some great tiger watching through half-shut eyes a bold, adventurous goat.

As the night wore on, he dared hope that the reconnoitring boat had returned to her ship with news that had sent her away in haste, whereby there was a chance that his tale might yet be taken for the truth that it was; and the longer he waited the higher rose his hope, and with the better reason. But an hour or more after midnight he heard men beginning to talk as if there was something new in the wind, and the nearest gunner put his ear to a cat-hole.

“The dogs are out; I hear oars," he whispered.

“Yea, though they are rowing softly, I swear I can hear oars.”

A hush came over the ship and those below heard faintly a hail given on deck.

Distant sounds came and went like whispers out of the sky, then somewhere outside the ship a great shouting arose and one of the men at a starboard gun cried gleefully, with a round oath, “Verily they are bent on boarding us, lads! Their foolish audacity seasons the term of all our weary waiting.”

“Hark! They are hailing!” cried another.

“Come, strike your flag. Have an end of all this talk,’’ a distant voice called. Whereat Philip Marsham, who knew the voice, thought that though their audacity cost him his life it was in its own mad way superb.

The reply was inaudible below, but a boat crashed against the ship.

There was a burst of yelling, followed by a rattle of musketry, then a voice boomed down, “Haul up your ports and run out your guns!”

At that the men beside the guns sprang up with run-