"You can't do a thing, captain. And anything you try will only make it
worse. He'll send you one of his damnable cart-wheels aboard and you'll see
the effect. You know how far your carronades will carry."

"Get you below, all of you," he said to his white-faced passengers. "No
need to get yourselves killed. He'll probably go for our spars, but when
shots are flying you can't tell what'll happen. Stop you with me!" he said
to me, and the poop cleared quickly of all outsiders.

The schooner came on like a racehorse. While yet a great way off a puff of
smoke balled out on his fore-deck and disappeared before the report reached
us.

"That's blank to tell us to stop. I must have more to justify me than
that," said the captain, and held on.

Another belch of white smoke on the schooner, and in a minute our foremast
was sliced through at the cap, and the foretopmast, with its great square
sails, and their hamper, was banging on the deck, while the jibs and
staysail fell into the sea to leeward, and the big ship fell off her course
and nosed round towards the wind.

"---- him! That's dismantling shot and no mistake about it. There's nothing
else for it. Haul down that flag!" cried the captain; and we were captive
to _Red Hand_.

"Sink his ---- boats as he comes aboard, sir!" said one of the mates in a
black fury. "He's only a ---- pirate."